declared Pope, the other had hys pardon graunted. In this councell amongest many other considerations, was concluded concerning priestes to haue no wyues: such as haue cōcubines to say no masse: priestes children not to be secluded from holy orders: no benefices to be bought for money. MarginaliaAlleluya suspended in the time of Lēt.Alleluya to be suspended in tyme of Lent out of the Church. &c. MarginaliaA decree that no secular man should geue a spirituall promotion.This also was decreed (which made most for Hildebrands purpose) that no spirituall man, whatsoeuer he be, shoulde enter in any church, by a secular person, and that the Pope should be elected onely by the Cardinals. &c. MarginaliaBenno Cardinalis.Benno Cardinalis writeth thus of Alexander, that after he perceaued the fraudes of Hildebrand, & of other the emperors enemies: and vnderstanding that he was set vp and inthronised, but onely for a purpose: beyng at his masse, as he was preachyng to the people, told them, he would not sit in that place, vnles he had the licence of the emperour. Which when Hildebrandus hard, he was strokē in such a fury, that scarsly he could kepe hys handes of hym, while masse was done. After the masse beyng finished, by force of souldiers and strength of men, hee had hym into a chamber, MarginaliaPope Alexander knockt about the pate by Hildebrand.and there all to bepoimld Pope Alexander with his fistes, rating and rebuking him, for that he would seke for fauour of the emperour. Thus Alexāder, beyng kept vp in custody, & beyng stinted to a certaine allowance, as about v. grotes a day. Hildebrand incrocheth all the whole reueneues of the church to himselfe, procuring therby much treasure. At length Alexander, vnder the miserable indurance of Hildebrand, dyed at euentyde after elevē yeres and halfe of hys Popedome. And thus muche of Romishe matters.

These thinges thus discoursed concernyng the matters of Rome (now returnyng agayne to our owne countrey story) the order therof would require to enter agayne into the raigne of William Conquerour, the next king followyng in england. But as a certaine oration of king Edgarus, which should haue bene placed before, chanced in the meane tyme to come to my handes, not vnworthy to be red: I thought by the way in the ende of this booke, to insert the same (although out of order) yet better I iudge it out of order, then out of the booke.

BEcause God hath shewed his great mercy to worke with vs: it is meete (most reuerende fathers) that with worthy workes wee shoulde aunswer his innumerable benefites. For we possesse not the land by our owne sworde, and our owne arme hath not saued vs: but his right hande and his holy arme, because he hath bene delighted in vs. MarginaliaPsal. 43.Therefore it is meete that we should submit both our selues and our soules to him that hath subiected all these things vnder our gouernment: and that we ought stoutly to labour, that they whom he hath made subiect to vs, might be subiecte to hys lawes. It belonges to me to rule the lay people with the lawe of equitie, to do iust iudgement betwixt man and hys neighbour, to punish church robbers, to hold vnder rebels, to deliuer the helpelesse from the hand of the stronger, the needy also and the poore from them that rob them. It belonges also to my care to prouide necessary thinges to the ministers of the churches, to the flockes of the monkes, to the companies of virgins, and to prouide for their peace and quiet. The examinyng of all whose maners belongeth vnto vs: whether they liue chastely: if they behaue thēselues honestly toward them that be without, whither they be diligent at gods seruice, if they be earnest to teach the people, if they be sober in eating and drinking, if they keepe measure in apparell, and if they be descret in iudgemēt. If ye had regarded these thinges with a trial of them (O reuerend fathers, by your leaues I speake) suche horrible and abhominable thinges of the Clerkes, should not haue come vnto our eares. I omitte to speake how their crowne is not broade, nor their rounding conuenient: the wantonnesse in your lyfe, your pride in your gesture, the filthinesse in your wordes, do declare the euil of the inward man.

Furthermore, what negligence is in Gods seruice, when scarce they will be present at the holy vigils? And whē they come to Masse, the seeme rather to be gathered to play and laugh, then to sing I will tell that, that good men be sorye for, and the euill laugh at. I will speake with sorrow (if so be I may expresse it) howe they be riotous in banckettynges, in chambering, dronkennesse, and vnshamefastnesse: that now clarkes houses may be thought to be a stewes of harlots, & a couēt of players. There be dyce, there is dancyng and singing, there is watching to midnight, with crying & shooting. Thus the goods of kings, the almes of princes, yea (and that more is) the price of that precious bloude is not estemed. Haue our fathers then spent their treasures for this purpose? Hath the kings cofers decayed by taking away many reuenues, for this cause? Hath the kinges liberalitie geuen landes and possessions to Christes churches for this intente, that Clarkes harlots should be decked with the same? that riotous feastes might be dressed? that houndes and haukes, and such other toyes might be gotten? The soldiours cry out of these thinges, the people grudge, minstrels sing and daunce, and yet ye regard it not: ye spare it, ye dissemble it. Where is he sword of Leuy, and the zeale of Symeon, which kylled the Sichemites and the Circumsised, MarginaliaGen. 34.
Exod. 32.which bare the figure of them that defile Christes church with filthy deedes, because they abused Iacobs daughter as a harlot? Where is Moses spirite which spared not his owne kinsfolke that worshipped the head of the Calfe.

MarginaliaNume. 25.
Acte. 5. 8.Where is Phinies the priestes dagger, whiche pacified Gods anger by his holy zeale, when he killed hym that plaied the harlot with the Madianite? Where is Peters spirite, by whose power couetousnesse is destroyed, and simonicall heresie is condemned? Be earnest ye priestes, be earnest, to folow the ways of the Lord, and the righteousnes of our god. It is tyme to do agaynst them that haue broken the law of God. I haue Constantines sword, and ye haue Peters sword in your handes: let vs ioine right handes, let vs couple sword to sword, that the lepers may be cast out of the temples, that the holy place of the Lord may be purged, and the sonnes of Leuy may minister in the temple, MarginaliaDeut. 33who sayd to his father & mother I know you not, & to hys brothers, I know not you. Go to diligētly I pray you, lest we repēt to haue done that, that we haue done, & to haue geuē that, that we gaue. If we shall see that to be spent not in Gods seruice, but on the riotousnesse of wicked men, through vile and corrupt libertie of lyfe, for lack of chastisment: let the reliques of holy saints which they despise, and the holy altars, before which they play the madde men, mooue you. Let the great deuotion of our auncetors moue you: whose almes the madnesse of the Clerkes doth abuse. My great grandfather (as ye knowe) gaue the tenth part of all hys landes to churches and abbeis. My great great graundfather Alfredus of holy memorye, thought not meete to spare his treasures, his goods, no costes nor rentes, that he myght enriche the church. My grandfather the elder Edward, your fatherhood is not ignoraūt, how great thinges he gaue to the Churches. It becommeth you to remember with what giftes my father and hys brothers did enrich Christes altars. O father of fathers Dunstane, behold, I pray thee, the eyes of my father loking on thee, from that bright place of heauen. Herken his complainyng words soundyng in thyne eares, thus pitifully lamentyng. O father Dunstane, thou thou I say, gauest me coūsell to build abbaies and churches: thou wast my helper and fellow worker in al thinges. I chose thee as a shepheard and byshop of my soule, and a keper of my maners. When did I not obey thee? what treasures did I preferre in respect of thy counsels: what possessions dyd I not despise, if thou had me? if thou thought meete to geue any thyng to the poore, I was ready. If thou thought meete to geue any thing to churches I deferred not. If thou cōplained that mōkes, or Clerkes wanted any thing, I supplied. Thou saidest that almes lasted for euer, & that there was none more fruitfull then that which was geuen to Abbeis or Churches. For with that both Gods seruaunts are sustained, and that which remayneth is geuen to the poore. O worthy almes. O worthy price of the soule, oh wholesom remedy for our sinnes, which now doth stinck in the sweete furres of priests lemmans, wherwith they adorne their eares, and deck their fingers, apparellyng their delicate bodies with silke and purple. O father, is this the fruite of myne almes: is this the effect of my desire, and of thy promise? what wilt thou aunswere to this complaint of my fathers? I knowe, I know, when thou didst see a thiefe, thou rannest not wyth hym: neither hast thou put thy portiō with adulterers. Thou hast rebuked, thou hast exhorted, thou hast blamed them, but wordes haue bene despised. Now we must come to stripes of correction: thou hast here with thee, the worshipfull father Edwald bishop of Winchester. Thou hast the reuerend prelate Oswold byshop of Worcetor, I committe thys businesse to you, that both by byshoply correction, and the kynges autoritie the filthye lyues may bee cast out of the Churches, and they that lyue orderly may be brought in. &c.

MarginaliaThe ignorance and superstition of the tyme of k. Edgar noted.In this oration of kyng Edgar aboue prefixed, 3. thinges are chiefly to be noted and considered to thē, that haue iudgements to marke and vnderstande: to witte: The religious zeale and deuotion of kynges, both in geuyng to the church, and also in correcting the maners of churchmen. 2. Secondly, the dissolute behauiour and wantonnesse of the Clergie, then abusing the great donations and patrimonies of princes bestowed vpon them. 3. Thirdly, the blynd ignoraunce