MarginaliaThe abbey of Battayle.Realme, without harme or resistaūce. This William in his tiyme builded two monasteries one in England, at Battaile in Sussex where he wanne the field agaynst Harald, called the Abbey of Battaile: an other beside, named Barmoūdesay, in his countrey of Normandy.MarginaliaThe abbey of Barmoundesay.
The first byshop of Salesbury.
Osmunde Byshop of Sarum.
Ordinale ecclesiastici officij. Secundū vsum Sarum.A litle aboue mention was made of the Byshops sea of Shyreborne, translated from thence to Salesbury. The first Byshop of Salesbury was Hermannus a Normand: who first began the new Church and minster of Salesbury. After whō succeded Osmūdus, who finished the worke and replenished the house with great liuyng, and much good singyng. This Osmundus first began the ordinarie, which was called secundum vsum Sarum. an. 1076. The occasion wherof was this (as I finde in an old story booke intituled Eulogium) MarginaliaEx Eulogio historico. Lib. 3.
The vse and ordinary of Sarum, how and when it was deuised.a great contention chaunced at Glacenbury betwene Thurstanus the Abbot, and his couent in the dayes of William Conquerour. Which Thurstanus the sayd William had brought out of Normādy, from the Abbey of Cadonum, and placed him Abbot of Glacenbury. The cause of this contentious battaile, was for that Thurstanus contemnyng their quyer seruice, then called the vse of S. Gregory: cōpelled his monkes to the vse of one Williā, a monke of Fiscā in Normandy. Wherupō came strife and contentions amongest them. First in wordes then frō words to blowes, after blowes then to armour. The Abbot with his garde of harnest men fell vpon the monkes, and draue them to the steppes of the hye altar: where, two were slayne, viij. were wounded with shaftes, swordes, and pikes. The Monkes then driuen to such a straight and narrow shift were cōpelled to defende themselues, with formes, and candellstickes, wherewith they dyd woūde certeine of the souldiers. One mōke there was (an aged man) who in steade of his shield, tooke an Image of the Crucifixe in his armes, for his defence: which Image, was woūded in the brest by one of the bow men, whereby the Monke was saued. My story addeth more, that the striker incontinent vpon the same fell mad, which sauoureth of some monkish addition besides the text. This matter beyng brought before the kyng: the Abbot was sent agayne to Cadonius, and the monkes by the commaundement of the kyng were scattered in farre countreys. Thus by the occasion hereof, Osmundus Byshop of Salisbury, deuised that ordinary, which is called the vse of Sarum, and was afterward receiued in a maner through all England, Ireland and Walles. And thus much for this matter, done in the tyme of this kyng William.

[Back to Top]

Which William after his death: by hys wyfe Matildis or Mauld, left three sonnes, Robert Courtsey to whom he gaue the duchie of Normandy: William Rufus his secōd sonne to whom he gaue the kingdome of England: And Henry the third sonne, to whom he left and gaue his treasour: and warned William to be to his people louyng and liberal: Robert to be to his people sterne and sturdy.

[Back to Top]

In the history called Iornalensis, is reported of a certayne great man, MarginaliaExample of Gods iust iudgement vpon a byshop, who being vnmerciful to the poore was eaten with rattes and myse.who about thys tyme of kyng William, was compassed about, wyth myse and rattes: and flying to the middest of a riuer, yet when that would not serue, came to the land agayne, and was of them deuoured. The Germanes say that this was a Byshop: who dwellyng betwene Colene and Mentz, in tyme of famine and dearth, hauing store of corne and graine, would not helpe the pouertie, crying to hym for releue, but rather wyshed hys corne be eaten of myse and rattes. Wherfore beyng compassed wyth myse and rattes (by the iust iudgement of God) to auoyde the annoyannce of them, he buylded a tower in midest of the riuer of Reyne (which yet to this day the Duchemen call Rattes tower) but all that would not helpe: for the Rattes and myse swam ouer to hym in as great aboundaunce, as they did before. Of whom at length he was deuoured.

[Back to Top]

Marginalia1088.
William Rufus.WIlliam Rufus the second sonne of William Cōquerour began hys raigne an. 1088.  

And reigned xiij. yeares, beyng crowned at Westminster by Lancfrācus, who after his coronation released out of prison, by the request of his father: diuers of the English Lordes, which before had bene in custody. It chaunced, that at the death of William Conquerour, Robert Courtsey his eldest sōne was absent in Almany. Who hearing of the death of hys father: and how William hys yonger brother had taken vpon hym the kingdome: was therwith greatly amoued, in somuch that he layd his Dukedome to pledge vnto his brother Henry: and with that good, gathered vnto him an armye, and so landed at Hampton, to the intent to haue expulsed his brother from the kyngdome. But William Ru-fus hearyng therof, sent to hym fayre and gentle wordes, promising him dedition and subiection as to the more worthy, and elder brother: this thyng onely requiring that seyng he was now in place and possession, he might enioy it during his lyfe: paying to hym yearely iij. thousād markes wyth condition, that which of them ouerlyued the other, should enioy the kyngdome. The occasion of this variance betwene these brethren, wrought a great dissention among the Normande Lordes and Byshops both in England & in Normandy. In so much that all the Normand byshops wythin the realme almost rebelled against the king (taking part with Duke Robert) except only Lancfrancus, and MarginaliaWolstane bishop of Worcetor.Wolstane Byshop of Worceter, aboue mentioned, an Englishe man. Who for his vertue and constancie was so well lyked and fauoured of hys citezins: that (enboldened wyth hys presence & prayer) they stoutly maintayned the citie of Worceter agaynst the siege of their enemyes, and at last vāquished them wyth vtter ruine. But Duke Robert at length by the aduise of his counsale (hearing the wordes sent vnto him and waggyng hys head therat, as one conceauyng some matter of doubt or doublenes) was yet content to assent to all that was desired, and so returned shortly after into Normandy: leauing the Bishops and such other, in the bryars, whiche were in England taking hys part agaynst the kyng.

[Back to Top]

Thys Rufus was so ill lyked of the Normans, that betwene hym and his Lordes was oft dissention. Wherfore (well nere) all the Normans tooke part agaynst hym: so that he was forced of necessitie to draw to hym the Englishe men Agayne so couertous he was, and so immesurable in hys taskes and takynges: in sellyng benefices: Abbays, and Byshoprikes: that he was hated of all English men.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaAn. 1091.
The death of Lancfrancus Archbishop of Canterbury.In the third yeare of thys kyng dyed Lancfrancus Archbyshop of Cant. from whose commendations & worthynes as I list not to detract any thyng (beyng so greatly magnifyed of Polidorus hys countreyman) so neyther do I see any great cause why, to adde any thyng therunto. This I thinke, vnles that man had brought wyth hym lesse superstition, and more sincere science into Christes Church: he might haue kept him in his countrey still, and haue confuted Berengarius at home. After the decease of Lancfranke, the sea of Cant. stoode emptie iiij. yeares.

[Back to Top]

After the councell of Lancfrancus, aboue mentioned, wherin was concluded, for translating of Byshops seas, from villages into head cities: MarginaliaRemigius bysh. of Lincolne.Remigius byshop of Dorchester, who (as ye heard, accompanied Lanfrancus vnto Rome) remoued his Byshops sea from Dorchester, vnto Lincolne: MarginaliaLincolne mynster builded.where he builded the minster there situate vpon an hill within the sayd citie of Lincolne. The dedication of which church, Robert Archbishop of Yorke dyd resiste, saying that it was builded within the ground of his precinct. But after, it had his Romish dedication by Robert Blocet, next Bishop that folowed. MarginaliaStow Abbey builded.By the same Remigius also was founded the cloyster or monastery of Stow. &c.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaAn. 1092.
Wynchecome styple brent wyth lightning.
Vi hundreth houses blowen downe with winde.
The roofe of Bow church ouerthrowen.In the iiij. yeare of this kyng. great tempest fell in sondry places of England specially at Winchecome: where the steple was burned with lyghtnyng: the Church wall brast through: the head & right legge of the Crucifixe, with the Image of our Lady, on the right side of the crucifixe thrown downe: and such a stenche left in the Church, that none might abyde it. At London the force of the wether & tempest ouerturned vi. hundreth houses. In which tempest the roofe of Bow church was whurled vp in the wynde, and by the vehemence therof was pitched downe a great depenes into the ground.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaRobert Bleuet payd. v. thousand markes for his Bishoprike.Kyng William (as ye heard an exceedyng piller or rauener rather of Church goodes) after he had geuen the Byshoprike of Lyncolne to his Chauncelor Robert Bleuet (aboue mynded) began to cauill: auouchyng the see of Lyncolne to belong to the sea of Yorke: till the Byshop of Lyncolne had plesed hym with a great summe of money of fiue thousand markes. &c.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaHerbert Losing a Bishop in Norwige.
Losinga. i. adulagtor.And as nothyng could come in those dayes, without money from the kyng: so Herbert Losing a paying to the kyng a piece of money, was made byshop of Thetford as he had payd a litle before to be Abbot of Ramesey. Who likewise the same tyme, remouyng his sea from Thetford, to the Citie of Norwige: MarginaliaNorwyge minster builded by Herbert.there erected the Cathedrall Church with the cloyster in the sayd Citie of Norwige: where he furnished the Monkes with sufficient liuyng and rentes of his owne charges, besides the Byshops landes. Afterward repēting of his open and manifest simonie, he went to Rome: where he resigned vnto the Popes handes his bishopricke: but so, that incontinent he receiued it agayne. This Herbert, was the sonne of an Abbot called Robert, for whō he pur-

[Back to Top]