tyng and gatheryng of treasures he had no measure, in myspendyng þ^e same he kept no order. MarginaliaHis vsury.And that no vyce should be wantyng where such auarice taketh roote, the money which he wrongfully got, he committed to the banke, to be encreased by vsury. MarginaliaHis riotous & delicate life.What wantones and lasciuiousnes was vsed in that so riotous lyfe, the storyes do shame to declare it. All ruffenly runnagates, idle belyes, and light persons, wheresoeuer he went, hanged vpon his Court. To increase the vayne ioylitie of this Royall Prelate, there was lacking no kynde of musicall instrumentes and melodious noyse, to refresh belike his weryed senses to much beaten and macerated with continuall labour and study of huntyng, haukyng and gamyng, of preachyng and readyng, I should haue sayd.

MarginaliaThe B. of Ely playeth both kyng and Priest.Briefly this foresayd Prelate, bearyng the authoritie both of the kyng and of the Pope, kept such a sturre in England, that all the whole Realme was at his becke, with cappe and knee crowchyng to him. Neither durst any man rich or poore displease him. Yea none in all the Realme so noble or worshypfull, but was glad to please hym, accountyng them selues happy if they might stand in his fauour. At his table all noble mens children did serue and wayte vpon him, with whom he coupled in Mariage his nieces and kynswomen. And when any that stode waytyng before him, durst once cast vp his eyes or did not demurely looke downeward vpon the ground, he had a staffe in hand with a pricke, wherewith he vsed to pricke them, learnyng belyke by the carter his father, which vsed at the plough or carte to driue his oxen. MarginaliaWilliam Byshop of Ely garded with French men and Flēmings.Furthermore, as kynges vse to haue their garde about them, so he because he would not also be vngarded, refusing men of the English nation, had his waiters and warders most of French mē and Flemmynges.

Marginalia1191.It happened after this, in the yeare. 1191. that a great discorde rose betwene Iohn Earle of Morton, the kynges brother, with other states of the Realme, and the sayd William Bishop of Ely, MarginaliaA generall complaynt to þ^e kyng, of William B. of Ely.so that vniuersally they all wrote ouer to the kyng cōcerning the misgouernemēt and enormities of the sayd Byshop. Who vnderstandyng of the case, sent frō Messana into England, Walter Archb. of Roan, and William Marschall Earle, vnto the Byshop of Ely with letters commaundyng him, that in all his doyngs he should associate vnto hym the sayd Archb. of Roan, W. Marschall, Greffray Peterson, W. Bruer, and Hugh Bardolf aboue mentioned.MarginaliaOf these foure associates read the page before. Who when they came into England, durst not deliuer their letters, dreadyng þ^e displeasure of the Chauncelour: for hee despised all the commaundementes of the kyng, nor would suffer any felow to ioyne with him in his kyngdome.

MarginaliaAnother dissension betwene Iohn the kyngs brother and Williā B. of Ely.Hetherto you haue heard of the glorious vanitie of this Lordly Legate and Chauncelour of the Realme, now ye shall heare of his shameful fall, after his shameles exaltation. For shortly after this foloweth an other breach betwene the sayd Earle Iohn the kynges brother and him, about the besiegyng of þ^e Castell of Lyncolne. Concernyng the which Castell the sayd Iohn sent him word, that vnles he rased his siege the sonner from thēce, he would sent him away by force of sword. The Byshop either not able to make his partie good, or not daryng to resiste, thought best to fal to some composition with the Earle, and so did. In which compositiō, he was contented agaynst his will, by mediation of diuers Byshops and others, to make surrender, not onely of the Castell of Lyncolne, but also of Nothyngham, of Tykhill, Walyngford and many moe, which were then committed to the custody of sondry men of worshyp and honour. And thus was that controuersie agreed, wherin the Byshop of Ely began a litle to be cut shorter.

It folowed then not long after in the same yeare, that an other lyke busines began to kyndle betwene Geffray the Archb. of Yorke the kynges brother, andthe foresayd glorious Byshop of Ely, vppon this occasion. MarginaliaAnother broite betwene the Chauncelour & Geffray Archbishop of Yorke the kyngs brother.Ye heard before how the kyng at his settyng out, left order, that Earle Iohn and Geffray his brethren should not enter into the realme the space of iij. yeares after hys depature (howbeit hys brother Iohn was shortly after released of that bond): and also after that how kyng Richard beyng at Messana, sent his mother Alinor to the Pope for his brother Geffray (elected before to the Sea of Yorke) to be cōsecrated Archbyshop: wherupon the sayd Geffray beyng consecrated through licence of Pope Cœlestine by the Archb. of Turon, the sayd Geffray eftsoones after his consecration differred no tyme, but would nedes come into England. Wherof þ^e Byshop of Ely hauyng intelligēce, sent him word beyng at Wissand in Flaunders not to presume to aduenture into the Realme contrary to his othe made to kyng Richard before: commaundyng moreouer, that if he came he should be apprehēded. All which notwithstandyng the Archb. letted not for all that, but needes would repayre to his Sea, and so aryued at Douer in the moneth of September, where the Chauncelours men stode on the Sea side to apprehend him. But he by chaūgyng his apparell and by swiftenes of his horse escaped their handes, and came to the Monkes house of Douer. But the Chauncelours men whome he sent to take him, beset the Church of the Monkes round about, so that in no wise he could auoyde their handes.

MarginaliaThe cruel hādlyng of Geffray Archb. of Yorke, by the B. of Ely the Popes Legate and Chauncelour of England.To make the story short, as the Archb. on a day, whē he had sayd Masse was standyng at the altar, with his garmentes yet about him, the rude souldiours hauyng litle good maner, and lesse deuotion, spared not boldly to rushe into the Church, and there layd handes vpon the Archb. as he stode: tooke him, bound him & dragged him through dyrt & myre (& as we vse to say) through thicke and thynne, and so committed him to Mathew Clerke their Constable to be kept: whereat the people greatly disdained, seyng him that was a kynges sonne and the brother of a kyng so to be entreated. The hearyng wherof when it came to the eares of Earle Iohn his brother, he beyng not a litle offēded therewith, sent to know of the Chauncelour, whether this was hys doyng, or not. MarginaliaGeffray Archbyshop of Yorke deliuered out of prisō by commaūdement of Earle Iohn his brother.To whom when the Chauncelour sent aunswere agayne, and stoutly confessed the fact to be his, then the Earle sent commaundement, that his brother should be deliuered, and so he was. Who then cōmyng to London, made his complaint to the Earle his brother, and to other nobles of the Realme, of the iniuries done to him by the Chauncelour. Whereupon the Earle sent for the sayd Chauncelour & appointed a day peremptory for him to appeare before the whole body of þ^e Counsell, to make aunswere to such iniuries as he had done both to the Archb. of Yorke, and also to the Byshop of Durham aboue mentioned. But the Chaūcelour driuing of the time with delayes, would neither come nor send. Then the Earle, with the Byshops about him, made their iourney toward London, to haue the matter there handled in greater audience.

MarginaliaA skirmish betwene the seruauntes of the B. of Ely, and the seruaūts of Earle Iohn.The Chauncelour seyng that, withdrew him selfe from Wyndsore, to the Citie of London. Where by the way it happened that the seruauntes of the Earle and of the Chauncelour meetyng, did skirmishe together. In which fray one of the Earles familie was slayne, but yet his men had the better, and the Chauncelour with his men were put to flight, and so fled to the Tower, where they did hyde them selues. MarginaliaThe nobles assembled in coūsell agaynst the Byshop of Ely.The next day after, which was about the 12. day of October, Earle Iohn the kynges brother, and the Archbishop of Roan, withall the Byshops, Earles, and Barons, and Citizens of London assembled together in Paules Church, where many and great accusations were layd agaynst the sayd Chauncelour, so that in fine it was agreed in that assembly, that the sayd Chauncelour should be deposed, and in his place was substitute the Archb. of Roan, accordyng to the tenour of the kynges letters sent from Messana, which was, that certeine