who after the decease of the sayde Emperor her husband, returned about this present tyme with the imperial crowne to her father in Normandy: MarginaliaS. Iames hand.
Reading Abbey founded.bringyng with her the hand of S. Iames. For the ioy wherof, the kyng builded the abbey of Reading, where the sayd hand was reposed. MarginaliaMatilde daughter of K. Henry heyre to the crowne.This Matild was receyued by the sayd councell to be next heire to the kyng her father, in possession of the English crowne, for lacke of issue male. And soone after vpon the same was sent ouer to Normandy, to marry withMarginaliaGeffray Plātagenet.
Henry the. ij. borne of Matilde the Emperice.Geffrey Plantagenet Erle of Angeou: of whome came Henry the secōd, that (after Stephen) was kyng of England. And about this tyme was also founded the priorie of Norton in the prouince of Chester, by one William the sonne of Nichelle. In the story of Polychron. Iornal. and Polydorus is declared: Marginalia1130
The Priorie of Norton founded.
Three terrible visions of the kying.how the kyng was troubled greatly wyth iij. sundry visiōs appearing vnto him by night. The first was of a great multitude of husbandmen of the countrey: which appeared to flye vpon hym with their mattockes and instrumentes, requiring of hym his debt which he dyd owe vnto them. In the second, he saw a great number of souldiors and harnessed men to come fiersly vpon hym. In the third, he sawe a company of prelates and churchmen threatnyng hym with their bishops staues, & fiersly approching vpon hym. Wherupō (being dismayd) in all hast, ran & toke his sword to defend hymselfe, findyng there none to strike: who afterward asking counsell concernyng these visions, was monished by one of hys phisitions (named Grimbald) MarginaliaThre vowes made of king Henry.by repentaunce, almes and amendment of life, to make some mendes to God and to his countrey whom he offended. Which thre vowes thus beyng made, the next yere after he went to England: Marginalia1131.where he beyng vpon the seas in a great tempest with his daughter Matild, remembred there hys iij. vowes. And so cōmyng to the land (for performance of the same) MarginaliaDane gelte released
The church releaued.
Iustice rightly administred.
Archopricke of Carlile newly exected by kyng Henry.
The citie & Paules church of London burned.
Honorius the. ii.first released vnto the commons, the Dane gelt, which hys father & hys brother before had renued. Secondly, he went to S. Edmondes bury, where he shewed great benefites to þ^e churchmen. Thirdly, he procured iustice to be administred more rightly throughout hys realme, &c. Also he ordeined and erected a new bishoprike at Carlile.

In the. 33. yeare of hys kinges raigne (as witnesseth a certaine author) a great part of the citie of London, with the Church of saint Paule, was burned with fire in Whitson weeke.

After Calixtus (whose story and tyme is before discoursed) succeded Pope Honorius, ij. Notwithstandyng þ^t the Cardinals had elected an other: yet he by the meanes of certaine citezins obtained the papacie, an 1125. About the second yeare of hys induction, (as is to be red in Math. Paris.) MarginaliaMatheus Parisiensis.there was a certaine legate of hys, called Ioannes Cremēsis sent downe to England, from the Pope for the redresse, I cannot well tell whereof. But in dede the chiefest purpose of hys commyng (as of all other after hym in those dayes) was to fill their pouches with english money, as may further appeare by their procedings. This Legate commyng then with the Popes letters directed both into England & Scotland (after he had wel refreshed hymselfe in bishops houses, and amongst the Abbots) at length resorted to London: MarginaliaA romishe statute cōcerning priestes wiues, and concubynes.where he assembled the whole clergy together, inquiryng of priestes concubines (otherwise called theyr wiues) and making thervpon a statute, in the said Synode of London, after this tenor: Presbyteris, diaconibus, subdiaconibus, & canonicis, vxorum, cōcubinarum, & omniū omnino fœminarum contubernia: autoritate Apostolica inhibemus præter matrem, aut sororem vel amitam, aut eiusmodi quæ omnino careant suspitione. Et qui decreti huius violator extiterit (confessus vel conuictus) ruinam ordinis patiatur. Inter consanguineos, seu affinitate propinquos, vsque ad septimam generationem, matrimonia contrahi prohibemus. That is, vnto priestes, deacons, subdeacons, and canons, we do vtterly inhibite by autoritie Apostolicall: all maner societie and conuersation with all kynde of women, except onely their mother, sister, or aunt, or such wherof can ryse no suspition. And whoseuer shalbe found to violate this decree (beyng conuict therof) shall sustaine therby the losse of all that he hath by hys order. MarginaliaMariage forbid to the seuenth degree.Moreouer amongst kindred or such as be ioyned in affinitie, we forbid matrimony, vnto the seuenth generation, &c. But see how God worketh agaynst such vngodly procedinges. MarginaliaThe Popes Legate geuing preceptes of chastitie, was founde wyth an harlot.The next night after, it happened, the same Cardinal (ruffelyng and reuelyng wyth his concubines) to be apprehended in the same vice, wherof he had so straitly geuen out precepts the next day before: to the no little slaunder and shame (as Matth. Paris. doth write) of the whole clergy.

MarginaliaLotharius Emperour.Vnto this tyme liued Henricus the v. emperour, after he had raigned 20. yeares, dying without issue as is before mentioned. Next after Henricus, the Imperiall crowne came to Lotearius duke of Saxon. an. 1127.

MarginaliaArnulphus mattered at Rome. The history of Arnulphus.Certaine histories make mention of one Arnulphus in the time of this pope Honorius. ij. Some say he was Archbishop of Lugdune: as Hugo, Platina, Sabellicus. Trithemius sayth he was a priest: whose history, as it is set forth in Trithemius, I will briefly in English expresse. About this tyme (sayth he) in the dayes of Honorius, ij. one Arnulphus Priest (a man zelous and of great deuotion, and a worthy preacher) came to Rome: which Arnulphus in his preachyng rebuked the dissolute and lasciuious lousenes, incōtinencie, auarice, and immoderate pride of the clergy: prouokyng all to follow Christ & his Apostles in þe pouerty rather, & in purenes of lyfe. By reason wherof, this man was well accepted, and highly liked of the nobilitie of Rome, for a true disciple of Chirst: but of the Cardinals and the clergy no lesse hated, then fauoured of the other. In so much that priuely in the night season they tooke him & destroyed him. This his martyrdome (sayth he) was reueled to hym before, from God by an aungell, he beyng in the desert, whē he was sent forth to preach. Wherupon, he sayd to them publikely with these wordes: I know (sayth he) ye seeke my lyfe: and know, ye will make me away priuely. But why? because I preach to you the truth, and blame your pride, stoutnes auarice, incontinence, with your vnmesurable gredynes in getting and heapyng vp riches: therfore be you displeased with me. I take here heauen and earth to witnes, that I haue preached to you, that I was commaūded of the Lord. But you contemne me and your creator: who by his onely sonne hath redemed you. And no maruell if ye seeke my death, beyng a sinfull person preachyng to you the truth: when as if S. Peter were here this day, & rebuked your vices (which do so multiply aboue all measure) you would not spare him neither. And as he was expressyng this with a loude voyce, he sayd moreouer: for my part, I am not afrayd to suffer death for the truth sake: but this I say to you, that God will looke vpon your iniquities, & will be reuenged. You beyng full of all vnpuritie, play the blynd guides to the people committed to you, leadyng them the way to hell. A God he is of reuengeaūce. MarginaliaArnulphus martyr.Thus the hatred of the cleagry beyng incensed agaynst hym for preachyng truth, conspired agaynst him, and so laying priuye waite for hym, tooke hym, and drowned hym: Sabellicus and Platina say, they hanged hym.

MarginaliaEx Tritemio.
A booke called Tripartitum, written 400. yeares ago.In the second Tome of the generall Councels imprinted at Colen, is mentioned a certaine booke called Opus tripartitum, written as the author supposeth, aboue 400. yeres: either of this Arnulphus, or iust about þ^e same tyme. In this booke the writer complayneth of many enormities and abuses in the Church. MarginaliaNumber of holy dayes.First of the number of holy dayes: declaryng what occasion of vice groweth therby, accordyng to the common saying of whores and naughty women (which say) they vantage more in one holy day then in 50. other dayes besides.

MarginaliaCurious singing in cathedrall churches.Itē, complayneth of the curious singyng in Cathedrall churches, wherby many be occasioned to bestow much good tyme, yea many yeares ahout the same, which otherwise they might geue to the learnyng of better sciences.

MarginaliaThe world ouercharged with begging religions.Likewise, he complayneth of the rable and multitude of beggyng friers and religious men, and professed women, shewyng what great occasiō of idle and vncomely lyfe commeth therof.

MarginaliaPromotion of euill prelates.Also of the vnconsiderate promotion of euill Prelates. And of their great negligence in correctyng and reformyng the euill demeanour of the people.

MarginaliaSuperfluitie of apparell in Byshops families.Item, of the great wantonnes and lasciuiousnes in their seruauntes and families, concernyng their excessiue wearyng of apparell.

MarginaliaByshops seales abused to get money.Item, complayneth also of the outragious and excessiue gaynes, that Prelates and other vnder them take for their seale: especially of officials, scribes and such like, which geue out the seale they care not how nor wherfore so they may gayne money.

MarginaliaNon residentes in benefices.He complayneth in likemanner, that prelates be so slacke & negligent in lookyng to the residents in theyr benefices.

MarginaliaRashe bestowing of benefices.Farther lamenteth, for the rashe geuyng of benefices to persons, vicars, and curates, not for any godlynes or learnyng in them, but for fauour or frendshyp, or intercession, either els for hope of some gayne: wherof springeth this great ignorance in the Church.

MarginaliaWastfull spending of the church goodes.After this he noteth in prelates, how they waste and expend the goodes of the Church in superfluities or vpō their kinsfolke, or other worse wayes: which should rather be spent vpon the poore.

MarginaliaOld bookes of councels lost by the negligene of the clerkes.Nextly in the x. chapter, he complaineth for that through the negligence of men of the church (especially of the church of Rome) the bookes and monumentes of the old Councels and also of the new, are not to be found: which should be re-