Thematic Divisions in Book 4
1. Lanfranc2. Gregory VII3. William the Conqueror4. William Rufus5. Henry I6. Stephen and Henry II7. Frederick Barbarossa8. Thomas Becket9. Becket's letters10. Becket's martyrdom and miracles11. Events of 1172-7812. Waldensians13. Other incidents of Henry II's reign14. First year of Richard I's reign15. Strife at Canterbury16. Richard I and Third Crusade17. William Longchamp18. King John19. Henry III's early reign20. Innocent III and mendicant orders21. Papal oppression of the English Church22. Albigensian Crusade23. Hubert de Burgh24. Gregory IX25. Schism between Greek and Latin Church26. Papal exactions from England27. Louis IX on Crusade28. Frederick II29. Opponents of Papacy30. Robert Grosseteste31. Aphorisms of Robert Grosseteste32. Persecution of Jews33. Papal oppression and Alexander IV34. Conflicts in universities and mendicant orders35. Henry III and the barons36. Battle of Lewes37. Battle of Evesham38. End of baronial war39. Ecclesiastical matters and Edward prince of Wales goes on crusade40. Foreign events in Henry III's reign41. First seven years of Edward I's reign42. War with Scotland43. Philip IV and Boniface VIII44. Events of 1305-745. Cassiodorous's letter46. Pierre de Cugniere47. Death of Edward I48. Piers Gaveston49. The Despensers and the death of Edward II50. John XXIII and Clement VI51. Rebellion in Bury St. Edmunds52. Edward III and Scotland53. Edward III and Philip VI54. Edward III and Archbishop Stratford55. Events of 1341-556. Outbreak of the Hundred Years War57. Anti-papal writers58. Quarrel among mendicants and universities59. Table of the Archbishops of Canterbury
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K. William Rufus. K. Henry the first.

whom he putteth in trust? seing you that be set before him in the midest, and proued a picker of your maisters treasure. Wherfore did you not feare the iudgement and execution, when as the giltines of offence doth require condigne punishment? The apostle through the holy ghost did foresee that you and such heretikes as you are should spring in the church, which should call good euil and euill good: and that should put darknes in place of light, & light in place of darknes, which also should take occasion by the sentences of truth to bring in error: MarginaliaHow liuely these papistes describe them selues in their owne colour.When as he did set this before, there is no power but of God: to the intent that he might take away the coniecture of false vnderstanding for (sayth he) those powers that be, are ordeined of god. Geue therfore an ordinary power, & we do not resist, yea we wil forthwith do our homage. MarginaliaBut Paule iudged the Emperour to be an ordinary power, when he appealed to him.But I do maruell (if at the least there remayne in you any one drop of bloud) that you are not ashamed, to call the Lord Henry a king, or to allowe him any ordinary place.

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Is this a seemely order thinke you to geue place to wickednes, and to make a generall confusion in mixyng good & euil, Gods and mans deuises together? Either do you thinke this good order, for a man to sinne against his owne body, as (oh shamefull wickednes) to make his owne wife a common harlot, MarginaliaThis is likely that the Emperour would make his own wife a common harlot.a mischief not heard of at any tyme since the begynnyng of the world before now: or do you alow this for good order, when as the Lord sayth, defend the widowes, especially such as require equity of iustice, and then them to send away most filthely defiled? Mad Orestes doth protest him to be out of his wit that will say these thynges to be orderly or well done. Vntill this most miserable time, nature hath euer loued secrecy, but your kyng geuen vp into a reprobate sense, hath vncouered the priuities of nature, who hath not let to lay abroad all shamefastnes: we will not speake of other thyngs which cannot be numbred, that is to say, burnyng of Churches, robberies, fieryng of houses, manslaughters, murders and such lyke, MarginaliaEuil will neuer sayth well.the number wherof he knoweth and not we: for let vs speake chiefly of those things which most greue the Church of God. Harken therfore to true and not fayned thinges. Harken I say to matters of earnest and to no trifles. Euery one that doth sell spirituall dignities, is an hereticke: But the lord Harry, whō they call a kyng, doth sell both Byshoprikes and Abbathyes: for truly he sold for money the Byshoprikes of Constance, Babemberge, Menz, and many others. MarginaliaBy this argumēt how many popes may be proued heretikes.The Byshoprikes of Ratisbone, Augusta, & Strasebrough, he sold for a sword: and the Abbey of Fulda for adultery. And for filthy sodomitry he sold the byshopricke of Mon. A wickednes it is to speake or heare of such a fact. The which things if without shame you will deny, he is to be condemned by the witnes of heauen and earth: yea and of the sely poore idiotes that come from the smithes forge.MarginaliaRather from the popes forge of lyes.Wherfore the Lord Harry is an hereticke. For the which most wicked euils he is excommunicate from the sea Apostolike, so that he may not exercise either kyngdome or power ouer vs which be Catholike. And wheras you burden vs with hatred of our brethren, know you that we purpose not to hate any of affection, but of a godly zeale. MarginaliaA zeale, but farre from knowledge.God forbyd that we should thinke Harry worthy to be accompted amongst our Christian brethren, who in deede is reputed for an Ethnike and Publicane, in that he refused to heare the Church which so oft hath reproued him. MarginaliaAnd when they shall slay you, they shall thinke they do God great seruice. Iohn. xvi.The hatred of whom we offer vnto God for a great sacrifice, saying with the Psalmist: Lord shall not I hate them that hate thee? and shall not I triūphe ouer thine enemye? I hate them with an inward hatred that be enemyes to me for thy sake. The truth it selfe commending the worthines of this hatred, doth say: If any do not hate father and mother, brethren and sisters for my sake, he cannot be my disciple. MarginaliaYea true, if he had compelled you to forsake the name of Christ, which he neuer did.We are not therfore iustly to be reproued of hatred, which do geue ouer our owne soule to be in the way of God: who in deede are commaunded to hate father and mother, and euery affection which doth withstand vs for walkyng in the path of God. Hereof it commeth, that we labour with all our study and endeuour to beware of the enemyes of the Church, and them to hate. Not for that they be our enemyes, but Gods. Further, where you do perswade peace to be had with all men: you must remember what the Apostle doth put before, if it may be. But if it cannot be that we can haue peace with them, who can be contrary to God? Who doth not know the Lord our sauiour, to commende not onely peace, when as he sayth: my peace I geue vnto you, my peace I leaue vnto you? but that he is the peace, as sayth the Apostle: he is the peace which made of both one: For he calleth hym our peace, speakyng in commēdation of the peace. Thinke not (sayth he) that I came to send peace: For I came not to send peace, but the sword. What is mēt by this? Why is peace called a sword? Or doth peace bid battell? Yea truly, to destroy the peace of the deuill. For the deuill hath his peace, whereof the Lord speaketh: When as the strong man keepeth his house, he doth possesse all his substance in peace. MarginaliaOh how craftely doth Sathan here shape him selfe to an Angell of light.Oh how mightely doth the deuill keepe his soldiours and his house in this tyme: who with the shield of falshode, and the helmet of vntruth, so doth defend him, that he will not suffer either arrow or darte of truth to pearse him. Neuer thelesse, our Lord being more strongly armed, and fiercely commyng vpon your Giaunt, is able to ouercome him, and to take away his weapons, wherein he putteth his trust. We are not therefore to be blamed, if we do detest that peace, more cruell then any warre. The which the truth it selfe dyd reproue, weepyng ouer Hierusalem and saying: Truly, it greueth me this day to see sinners in peace, beyng lyke vnto that peace, whereat the Psalmist was offended. Whereas you condemne Pope Gregory, kyng Rodolphus, and Marques Eggebertus, as men that haue dyed of an vnhappy death, and doe magnifie your Lord, because he doth ouerlyue them: it doth plainly (forsoth) appeare that you remayne voyde of all spirituall consideration. Is it not better to dye well, thē to lyue ill? They be truly happy, who suffer persecution for righteousnes sake. By the same reason may you esteeme Nero, Herod, and Pilate happy, in that they ouerlyued Peter, Paul, Iames Apostles, and Iesus Christ. What can be sayd more foolish and wicked then this opinion? Wherfore refrayne your bablyng toung from this blasphemy, least that you place your selfe in the nūber of them, which seyng the end of the iust to be glorious (themselues doyng late and vnfruitfull penaunce, bewayling in the anguish of the spirite) shall say: These be they who sometyme we had in derision, and laughed to scorne: we beyng out of our wits, thought their lyues madnes; and their end to be without honor. Behold how they be allowed to be amongest the children of God, and their portiō is amongest the saints. Wherfore we haue erred from the way of truth, and the brightnes of righteousnes dyd not shyne vpon vs. What did our pride auayle vs? And what profit dyd the boastyng of our riches bryng vnto vs? They are all vanished away lyke a shadow. The which wordes we haue registred vp into perpetuall memory, and we do despise euery attempt that shall lyft vp it selfe agaynst the truth of God. And reioycing in troubles, we may be reproued, put to shame and rebuked, yea and finally be slayne and killed, but we will neither yeld, nor be ouercome. And with great triumphe will we reioyce in our fathers doings: of whom, you (as a beardles boy, and of small knowledge) haue not rightly conceiued: who in deede despising Princes commaundementes, haue deserued euerlastyng reward.

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There is a certaine chronicle in old English meter, MarginaliaEx vetusto chronico.which among other matters speakyng of William Rufus, declareth him to be so sumptuous and excessiue in pompous apparell, that he beyng not contented with a payre of hose of a low price which was. iij. shillyngs: caused a payre to be brought of a marke, whervpō his chamberlayne procuryng a payre much worse then the other before, sayd: That they contenyd a marke, and vnneth he thē so bought, Ye belamy (quoth the kyng) these are well brought. Wherby is to be noted what difference is to be sene betwene the hose of Princes then, and the hose of seruyngmen now.

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Appendix historiæ.

MarginaliaKinges ceased in Wales.After the tyme of this kyng William, the name of kynges ceased in the countrey of Wales among the Britaines, since kyng Ris. who in the raygne of this kyng, the yeare of our Lord. 1093. was slayne in Wales. Ex cōtinuatore Rog. Houeden.

¶ Kyng Henry the first.

Marginalia1100.
Henry Beuclerke the first king of England.
HEnry first of that name, the iij. sonne of Williē Cōquerour, succedyng his brother Rufus: began his reigne in England, the yeare of our Lord 1100.  

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Henry I

The Foxe Project was not able to complete the commentary on this section of text by the date by which this online edition was compiled (23 September 2008). This commentary will become available in due course from the 'Late Additions and Corrections' page of the edition.

who for his knowledge and science in the vij. liberall artes, was surnamed Clerke or bewclerke. In whom may well appeare, how knowledge and learning doth greatly conduce, to the gouernemēt & administratiō of any realme or coūtrey. MarginaliaWhat learning doth in a prince.At the beginnyng, he refourmed the state and condition of the Clergy: released the greuous paymentes: MarginaliaLawes of K. Edward reduced.reduced agayne K. Edwards lawes, with emendation therof: MarginaliaThe measure of England made after the length of kyng Henries arme.he reformed þe old and vntrue measures, & made a measure after the lēgth of his arme: he greatly abhorred excesse of meates & drinkes:

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many