MarginaliaThe B. of Ely Chauncelor of the Realme and Legate deposed.other persons should be associated with the Chauncelour for gouernement of the Realme, by whose counsel if he would not be directed, the Archbyshop of Roan should be set in his place, and he to be deposed. MarginaliaThe B. of Ely resigneth his Castels.The third day after this the Chauncelour firmely promised, not to departe out of the Realme before he had deliuered out of his handes all such Castels, the keepyng wherof he committed to certeine foreners and straungers, and for assuraunce thereof he gaue his two brethren, and Chamberlayne for pledges, and so went to Canterbury, where he sayd he would take the Crosse of a pilgrime and leaue the Crosse of his Legateshyp.

Now when he was come to the Castle of Douer, and there had remained a few dayes, contrary to hys promise made, his purpose was to take shyppe, and to passe ouer the Seas. MarginaliaThe Bishop of Ely clotheth him selfe in a womans apparell.And because he durst not do it openly, he deuised a new kyng of disguising, deckyng him selfe in the apparell of a woman, and so as gouty as he was, went to þ^e Sea side in his womans weede, hauyng in his hād a met yeard, and on his arme a peece of lynnyn cloth. MarginaliaA fishermā taketh the Byshop of Ely to be a woman.And thus as he was sittyng vppon a rocke, waytyng for his shippe to come and to conuey him ouer, a certeine Fisherman espiyng him, and supposing the same to bee a harlot, came to him, and so with strugglyng with him, founde him, as he was in deede, to be a man in likenes of a woman. Whereat he wondered, and began to make an outcry vppon him. But the Byshops seruauntes beyng not farre of, came runnyng and stilled him. as well as they could.

The Fisherman then goyng to the next Village, and there belyke declaring what he had sene, to trye out the matter further, came out certeine women, who seyng the lynnyn cloth hangyng at his arme, began to quesiō with hym of the price of his cloth, and what he would take for it. But to this he would aunswere neuer a word, but smiled vpō them. MarginaliaThe Bishop of Ely in a womans apparell found to bee a man.Wherat they musing with them selues, and whisperyng one with an other, at last with their handes were so bold to plucke downe his mufler, and there by his beard new shauen, found him in deede to be a man, and so with a loude exclamation raysed the Village vpō him, and would haue fall vpon him with stones. MarginaliaThe Bishop of Ely bayted of women by the Seas side.Then came runnyng a great multitude both of men and women, who wondering at him, as byrdes are wont at an Owle, layd handes vppon him, and pluckt him downe to the ground, haylyng and drawyng hym by the sleeues and colar of hys gowne through stones and rockes, whereby he was shrewdly hurt. His seruauntes once or twise made out to rescue their old master, or new mistres, but could not for the presse of the people, who beatyng him with their fistes, & spytting at him, drew him through the whole towne, MarginaliaThe Byshop of Ely cast in a darke cellar in steade of a prison.and so with shame ynough at length laid him in a darke cellar in stede of a prison. Of whom all the countrey about wondered & cryed out. MarginaliaThe Byshop of Ely set at libertie by Iohn Earle of Morton.In conclusion Earle Iohn hearyng therof, within viij. dayes after sent word, that they should deliuer him, and let him go.

The B. then set at libertie, sayled ouer as he could, to Flaunders, where he had but cold welcommyng. MarginaliaThe Byshop of Ely gyueth lx. Markes, to be receaued w^t procession.From thence he went to Paris, where he gaue Mauricius their Bishop lx. Markes of siluer, to be receaued in with procession, and so he was. Then returned he into Normandy. But the Archb. of Roan there gaue commaundement, that the Church doores should be locked, and no seruice sayd, so long as he there remayned. MarginaliaThe Bishop of Ely complayneth to þ^e king, and the Pope.The Byshop seyng that, directeth his letters and messengers to Pope Cœlestine, and also to kyng Richard into Syria, signifiyng to them how Iohn the Earle of Morton and his complices had handled him, and expulsed him out of the Realme, requiryng that he might be restored agayne to that was taken from him: and also offering him selfe to be tryed by the law for that he had done, so that if þ^e kyng should dislike in any thyng that he had done, he was ready to satisfie the kynges contētation in all things wherin iustly he could be charged.

Vppon this Pope Celestine inflamed with an Apostlicall zeale in the behalfe of the sayd Byshop of ElyMarginaliaThe letter of Pope Celestius, in the behalfe of the Bishop of Ely hys Legate.his Legate, wrote a sharpe and a thunderyng letter to the Archb. Byshops, and Prelates of England, commaundyng them by his authoritie Apostolicall, that for somuch as the iniuries done to his Legate did redound to the contumelie of þ^e whole mother church of Rome, they should not fayle therfore, but with seuere censures of the church, that is, with booke, bell, & candel procede as well agaynst the foresayd Iohn Earle of Morton, as also all other, who soeuer had or should attēpt any violence or iniurie agaynst the sayd his Legate B. of Ely, with no lesse seueritie, then if the sayd iniurie should be offered to the person of the Pope him selfe, or any other of his brethren the Cardinals. &c.

MarginaliaThe B. of Ely bold vpon the Popes fauour.The Bishop of Ely the Popes Legate bearyng him selfe bold vpon the fauour & letters of the pope which tooke his part, writeth to Henry B. of Lyncolne, chargyng & requiring that he in vertue of obedience should execute the Popes sentence and mandate, in excommunicatyng all such as were offenders in that behalfe, and there reciteth the names of diuers agaynst whom he should procede, MarginaliaThe names of many which stod agaynst the B. of Ely appointed to bee excōmunicate.as the Archb. of Roan, the Byshop of Wint. W. Marschall, Geffray Peterson, Bruere, and Bardolfe, the Earle of Salisbury, þ^e Earle of Mellent, Gilbert Basset, the Archdeacon of Oxford, and especially Hugh Byshop of Couentry. Also M. Benet, and Steuen Rydel, Chauncelour to Earle Iohn the kyngs brother, to the which Earle he reserued a further day of respite before he should be excommunicate, with a number of other mo beside these. Howbeit, the sayd Byshop of Ely could finde none to execute this commaundement of the Pope. Then they with a generall consent wrote agayne to kyng Richard, complaynyng of the intolerable abuses of the sayd Byshop hys Chauncelour. MarginaliaThe Bish. of Ely complayneth to the kyng of the Earle of Morton his brother.In like sort the sayd Chauncelour also cōplaynyng of thē, wrote his letters to þ^e kyng, signifiyng how Earle Iohn his brother wēt about to vsurpe his kingdome, & would also shortly set the crown vpon his owne head, vnles he made the more spede homeward. Marginalia1192.The kyng then was busie in repulsing the Saladine, and prepared to lay siege agaynst Hierusalem, & got Scalonia, with diuers other townes from the Saracens, which was in the yeare of our Lord. 1292. hauyng diuers conflictes in the meane space, with the Saladine, and euer put him to the worse. As the kyng thus was preparyng to lay his siege agaynst Hierusalem, the Saladine glad to fall to soome compositiō with the kyng, sent vnto him, that if he would restore to him agayne Scalonia in as good state as it was when hee tooke it, he would graunt to him, and to all Christians in the land of Hierusalem truse for iij. yeares, and offered him selfe therunto to be sworne. The kyng seyng þ^e Duke of Burgundie & the French men to shrinke frō him, and his owne men to decay, & also his money and health to diminish, but especially for that he vnderstode by the B. of Ely his Chauncelour, the French kyng to set vp Iohn his brother to possesse his kingdome, being coūsailed therto by the Tēplaries, tooke the truse offered of the Saracens, & so began to draw homeward.

MarginaliaStrife betwene the Byshop of Ely and þ^e Archb. of Roan.In this meane while much grudge and strife increased more and more betwene the B. of Ely, & the Archbyshop of Roan aboue specified, in somuch that the Archb. beyng excommunicate, sent vp his Clerkes to Pope Celestine to complaine of the Byshop. MarginaliaPope Celestine stādeth in excuse of the Byshop of Ely.But the Pope euer stode in his purgation. At last he sent ij. of his Cardinals, to wytte Ottomannus Byshop of Hostia, and Iordanus de fossa noua, to breake the stryfe betwene the Byshop of Ely, and the Archb. of Roan.MarginaliaThe B. of Ely with the kynges letters cōmeth again into England.After this, king Rich. beyng takē, and in the custody of Henry the Emperour, þ^e B. of Ely resortyng to him was sent by him into England to Alinore his mother, and other nobles. Who then returnyng into England agayne, not as Chaūcelour, nor as Legate (as he sayd) but as a simple playne Byshop, so by that meanes was receaued. Ex Mat. Paris. Et ex alijs incerti nominis manuscriptis codicibus.