18. Gulielmus Bateman.
VVIlliam Bateman Doctor of the Ciuill Lawe; borne at Norwich, and Archdeacon of the same, was next elected Bishop by the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 consent of the whole Couent: a man of 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉, and so great constancy, that he could not by any meanes be brought to Impaire and diminish the priuileges and liberties of his church, although he were oftentimes by many of the nobility 〈◊〉〈◊〉 thereunto: alway to the vttermost of his power re∣sisting and punishing the sacrilegious drifts of them, which attempted the same. Amongst the rest it is remembred, that the Lord Morly hauing killed certaine deere in one of his parkes, and ill intreated his kéepers, he forced the noble man, to cary a burning Taper in his hand through the streetes of Norwich vnto the high Altar. Though the king became an earnest intercessor for him, yea mingling sometimes threates with requests; nothing could mooue the Bishop from follow∣ing his determined course. Furthermore, whereas the estate of his Bishopricke was very litigious before his time, he ne∣uer rested, vntill he had rid it from all 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and contention, obtaining also of Pope Clement all the fruits and reuenues of the vacant churches in Norwich, which he left vnto his successors. He builded Trinity hall in Cambridge, giuing certaine lands for the maintainance thereof, and prouoking other mē to imitate his good example; he perswaded one Gon∣well to found another hall in the same vniuersity, which of late at the costs and charges of Iohn Caius a learned Phisiti∣on, hath béene very much enlarged. At what time king Ed∣ward the third laid claime first vnto the crowne of Fraunce, he made choise of this Bishop to informe the Pope of his ti∣tle. In this voiage he died at Auinion the yéere 1354. In this mans time happened that great plague memorable in all our histories, whereof (as some doubt not to affirme) there died so