MarginaliaByshops of England clayme to haue interest in the election of the Archb. of Cant.monkes should exclude them out of the election, seyng they were professed and Suffraganes to the sayd Church of Canterbury: Neither is there any Prince, quoth the Byshop of Bathe, that will refuse our counsaile. There be some counsailes, sayd the monkes, whereat you may be called: but as touching the doing of this electiō, it perteineth nothyng vnto you further then to publish onely and denounce the party whō we haue chosen. The Byshop of London then asked, if they had already made any election. No election, sayd the Prior, as yet, but onely we haue denominate the persons. Thē haue ye proceded further, quoth he, then ye ought, hauyng a cōmaundement from the pope not to proceede without vs. MarginaliaThe popes letters commaundyng the Byshops of the realme with the Prior & Count to chuse the Archb.And with that was brought forth the popes letter, commaundyng that within xl. dayes the Byshops of England, and the Prior, and Couent of Canterbury should elect an able and fitte person to be their Archbishop. About the scannyng of these letters was much a do. The Byshops sayd, they were first named, and therfore ought to haue most interest in this election. The Mōkes sayd agayne, that they also were not excluded, and required to haue a transcript of the letter, wherof much doubt was made.

MarginaliaThe king separateth the Bishops from the Mōkes.After long concertation, when they could not agree, the kyng commyng betwene them both, called away the Byshops from the Monkes, supposing by separatyng the one from the other, to draw both parties to his sentence. MarginaliaThe Mōkes will lose no preeminence of their Church.But that would not be, for the Monkes stifly standyng to their liberties, would lose no preeminence of their Church, still alledgyng how by the auncient priuilegies of the Church of Canterbury the Couent should chuse their Pastor & Byshop, and the Prior to publish and denounce the person. The Byshops agayne replied, that it was their right to appoint their Archbishop and metropolitane, which were Bishops and Suffraganes, and namely the Byshop of London also beyng Deane of the sayd Church of Canterbury. The king then as vmpere betwene them, yet fauouryng rather the side of the Byshops, desired them to agree together in peace. Whē that would not preuayle, he set the Lord Stuard, and other noble mē to entreat the Prior, to draw to some agreement: at least to be contented with this forme of election, which was that the Byshop of London, or some other Byshop should declare the election in these wordes.

MarginaliaThe forme of electiō of the Archb. set betwene the bishops & the Monkes of Canterb.We bishops, and the Prior and Couēt of Christes church in Caunterbury, with the assent of our Lord our kyng, do chuse such a person to be Archbyshop. &c. or els thus, that the Prior shoulde pronounce forth the election in these wordes, saying: The Byshops of Englād and I Prior and the Couent of Cāterbury, with the assent of our Lord and king do chuse such a person. &c.

MarginaliaThe bishops and Mōkes could not agree about the forme of election.Vpon this the Prior sayd, he would conuent with his Couent. Who with much ado were content to graunt to the kynges desire, but afterward beyng required to put downe the same in writing, that they refused to do: yet notwithstādyng relented at last to the kyng. But when the Byshops made excuses for the absence of their felow Byshops, so the matter for that tyme stayd. And the kyng sending home the Monkes agayne to their house in peace, MarginaliaThe election of the Archb. differred to the moneth of December. an. 1184.differred that busines to a further day, which was till þ^e first of Decēber cōmaundyng the Prior with his felowes the same day not to fayle but to be at London about the chusing of the Archbyshop.

As the day prefixed came, the Prior with his company were also present, who giuyng attendance all that day and the next day also followyng, so were driuen of till the thyrd day after. At length the Lord Stuard with other nobles of the Realme, were sent to them from the kyng, to declare, that where as the kyng before had diuided the Bishops frō the Monkes, that they both might haue their election by themselues after the forme of a Bill which was put down in writyng: MarginaliaThe kinges message to the mōkes of Cant. to agree & ioyne with the Byshops.now the mynde of the kyng was, that the Monkes takyng an other way, should ioyne with the Bishops, and so hauyng the matter in talke together, should procede ioyntly in the election.

Agaynst this, many thynges were alledged by the Prior and his mates, complainyng much vpon the Byshops, which sayd that the Byshops had euer holden with the kynges agaynst the liberties of their Church and Archbyshops. As first they stode agaynst Anselme, for kyng William: Then agaynst Theobalde for kyng Stephen: After that agaynst Thomas Becket for kyng Henry: And after him did supplant the election of Richard their Archbyshop: And now againe went about to practise and worke against this their election present &c. At last the Prior with his felowes concludyng, desired they might speake with the kyng himselfe. Who eftsoones commyng to them, willed them as good men MarginaliaThe kings wordes to the mōkes of Cant.to be contented, and to go talke with the Byshops about the election, promising that whom they agreed vppon, he also would graunt his assent to the same. To whom when the Prior agayne had obiected the writynges that before were made: truth it is sayd the kyng, such writynges were made, but I neither may, nor will go agaynst the counsaile of my Realme: and therfore agre, sayd he, with my Bishops and Abbots, and remember, that the voyce of the people is the voyce of God.

MarginaliaThe Mōkes of Cant. compelled agaynst their wylles to ioyne with the Byshops touching the electiō of the Archb.Vpon this the Prior with his Monkes seyng no other remedy, went to the Byshops, to conferre accordyng to the kynges request about the election. Who then were willed by þ^e byshops to nominate whom they would, and the Byshops would likewise name theirs. So that whē the Prior with his complices had named three after their chusing, the Bishops sayd they would nominate but one, and so did, which was the Bishop of Worcester: willyng the Prior to go home, and to conferre with his Couent about the same. To whom shortly after the Bishops sent certeine Priests to signifie to the Couent, that they, accordyng to the Popes letters, should repayre to the Byshops concernyng the election of the Archbishop, also to declare moreouer to them, that the persns whom they had named were good men, but he whom they had nominated was a more worthy man, whom they both had nominated, and also would elect. The Monkes marueling hereat, sent two Monkes, with the Archdeacon of Canterbury to the kyng.

MarginaliaByshops of the realme make their election of the Archb. without the monkes of Cant.This done, immediatly after the returne of the Priests, the Bishops caused all the Bels of the citie to be rong, and Te Deum to be song for the Archbishop new elect. Wherof when the two Monkes brought tydynges to the Couent at Canterbury what was done at London, they were all in a maruelous dumpe. The kyng hearyng this and perceauing the stifnes of the Mōkes, in all hast sent messengers to Cāterbury with gentle wordes to will the Prior to come to the kyng, and certifie him of the purpose of his Mōkes. Vnto whom the Prior eftsoones being come, declareth in the name of the whole Couent, that in no case he nor the Mōkes would neuer while þe world stode, agree to that election of the bishops, MarginaliaConditions prescribed to the kyng by the monkes of Cant. for the ratification of the Archb. made by the Byshops.vnles the kyng in his owne person would come to Canterbury and there openly before the whole Couent, protest by his own mouth the foresayd electiō to be nought and voyde: and so returnyng to Lōdon agayne openly likewise before þ^e Clergy & the people would repudiate and reiect the same: And furthermore that the partie also elected should openly in the same place protest, and say, that he neither would nor ought to take that function vpon him, vnles he entred by the consent of the Prior & Couent of Canterbury: And all this to be done in the same place where the Bishops had made their electiō before, and so peraduenture (sayd they) MarginaliaBaldwine Bishop of Worcester second Archb of Cant. an. 1184.at the kynges so earnest sute and request, they would gratifie his will & ratifie the sayd election with the voyces of their consent. To make the story short, after great hold betwene the seculare Clergy on the one side, and the regular order on the other side, and after the kynges indignation agaynst the Prior, and the swondyng of the Prior before the kyng, at length the king to take vp the matter, and to saue the Priors life was fayne to performe in his owne person all these conditions aboue prescribed by the Monkes. Ex Geruas. fol. 100.

And thus haue ye heard the tragicall election of the Bishop of Worcester, named Baldewynus made Archbyshop of Cant. Now what a troublesome tyme the sayd Baldewine had with the Mōkes, in gouernyng þ^e church of Cant. here foloweth likewise not vnworthy to be considered.

MarginaliaThe great trouble & contention betwene Baldwine Archb. and the mōkes of Cant.IN the first yeare the Archbishop shewed him selfe frēdly and louing to the monkes: the next yeare folowyng he begā to appeare somewhat rough vnto them. The maner then was of the house of Christes Church toward the time of the Natiuitie and of Easter, to receane certeine presentes or giftes of their fermers or tenauntes, which the cellarer should take & lay vp. Those presentes the archbishop began first to intercept from the monkes, and to bestow them vpon his secular Clerkes. After this he tooke three Churches or benefices (which the Monkes claimed as proper to themselues) and placed in them iij. of his Chaplaines. After this he encroched to his hādes certeine tenementes, reuenewes, & victuall belōgyng before to the Mōkes (as they said) and committed the custodie therof to certeine of his owne Clerkes and housholde seruauntes.

The Monkes which had borne so much with the Archbishop before, seyng this, could forbeare him no longer, but