A catalogue of the bishops of England, since the first planting of Christian religion in this island together with a briefe history of their liues and memorable actions, so neere as can be gathered out of antiquity. By F.G. subdeane of Exceter.

49. Robert Winchelsey.

VVHat countreyman Robert Winchelsey should be, [ 1294] no man deliuereth: But it is certaine he first went to schoole at Canterbury, where he was so admired for his towardlinesse, and loued for his gentle and modest behauiour (being also a very welfauoured childe) as euery man would take vpon him, euen then to prophecie that he should one day be Archbish. of Canterbury. Being ripe for the Uniuersity, he was sent to Paris. There he procéeded Master of art, and before his departure thence was chosen Rector of that Uniuersity. Hauing passed through that office (which séemeth to be annuall) with great commendation of integrity and wisedome, he returned into England, and com∣ming to Oxford, gaue such proofe there of his excellent knowledge in all good learning by preaching, disputing, &c. as they thought good to honour him with the degrée of a Doctor, and shortly after made him Chauncellor of their U∣niuersity. His gouernment there was such, as all men easily discerned him fit for a much higher place. He made many good and profitable statutes, and tooke away diuers fond and per∣nicious customes, to the great honor of the Uniuersity, and no lesse aduauncement of good learning. His first spirituall pro∣motion was a prebend in Paules church and the Archdea∣conry of Esser. His Archdeacoury he visited himselfe in per∣son duly euery yeere, and did reside vpon his prebend, prea∣ching in that cathedral church or some other place almost eue∣ry day. By reason hereof & his manifold good parts, he grew so famous, as Peckham being dead, he was straightway pointed out by the expectation of all men vnto the Archbi∣shopricke. The monkes therefore chose him with the kings very good liking & great applause of all men. It was his chāce to come to Rome while Coelestious was Pope, a good & ver∣tuous man, but so simple, as Boniface that succéeded him could perswade him by counterfeiting the voice of an Angell through a trunke in the night, to resigne his Papacy and be∣come an Heremite againe, as before his election he had beene. Not onely this simple Heremite, but euen all the prelates

and Cardinals there were amased at his woonderfull rare learning, the like whereof (especially to be ioined with such discretion and wisedome) they well assured themselues was no where to be found. They were desirous therefore to haue made him a Cardinall so to haue retained him amongst them: But he yéelding many reasons why he might not be spared at home, obtained at last consecration and hasted him vnto his charge. Upon the day of his inthronization, it is said he consecrated Bishop of Landaffe one Iohn Mone∣mouth Doctor of Diuinity, and bestowed twenty benefices, ten of very good value vpon ten Doctors, and ten lesse vpon ten Batchelers of Diuinity. The Sée being yet voide, the king had caused a conuocation to be summoned, in which he required one halfe of all ecclesiasticall reueneues for one yéere toward the charge of his wars. This intollerable exaction the cleargy not intending to yéeld vnto, sent the Deane of Paules William de Montfort with diuers other Prelates vnto the king to craue pardon, and to shew how hard it were for them to yéeld to this demaund. Being admitted vnto his presence, the Deane began his spéech, and after a few words fell downe suddenly starke dead. Herewith the king nothing mooued, sent a knight the next day vnto the conuocation to know whether any of them durst withstand the king in this de∣maund: if there be any such (quoth he) let him come foorth that I may take order with him as a disturber of the kings peace. So no man daring to gainesay it, the graunt passed for good. The Archbishop now comming home soone after, called another Synode, wherein his cleargy complained much of the last exaction. The Archbishop told them it was more thē they could 〈◊〉〈◊〉 that they had done, for that in the late Councell of Lyons it was decréed, no cleargy man should pay any thing to any temporall magistrate without the Popes licence: that therefore they now set downe for a canon to be kept hereafter inuiolably. At that time the king that had had so liberall allowance very lately, demaunded nothing. But within a yéere or two after hauing spent an in∣finite deale of money in the conquest of Scotland, he summo∣ned a Parliament at Berwicke, wherein when the Tempo∣ralty contributed liberally toward the charge of that warre,

the cleargy alleaging the foresaid canon, would graunt no thing. The king would not take this for payment: And there∣fore presently he tooke order, that all barnes of cleargy men should be locked vp: he also made proclamation that from that time forward, all cleargy men were excluded from vn∣der his protection, so that hereafter it should be lawfull for any man to sue them, but they might not commence sute against any other. This constrained them to yéeld, and all submitted themselues to allowance of such a proportion as the king li∣ked (it was a fift part of their reuenewes) except onely the Archv. who would make no other answere vnto the king but this, vnder God our vniuersall Lord, saith he, we haue two other Lords, a spirituall Lord the Pope, and a temporall Lord the king, and though we be to obey both, yet rather the spirituall Lord then the temporall. When therefore he sawe all the rest inclined to yéeld, vsing no other words then this, Saluet 〈◊〉〈◊〉 animam suam, he rose vp and suddenly de∣parted. For this contumacy the king caused all his goods to be seased into his hands, and made shew of greater displea∣sure. Shortly after, notwithstanding being to make warre in Fraunce, before his departure he thought good to receiue the Archbishop to fauour againe, but this grace indured for a very little while. Presently vpon his returne, he laid diuers treasons to his charge, as that he had dehorted his subjects in his absence from payment of their subsidies, that he had con∣spired with diuers of his nobility to depriue him of his king∣dome, and to crowne his sonne Edward, &c. Whether the Archbishop were guilty of all the crimes obiected against him or no, I cannot tell. But certaine it is, that as guilty, he submitted himselfe to the kings mercy, and besought him for the same in most humble manner, or rather in déede deiected himselfe more basely, and lamented his cause more passio∣nately then became a man that were guiltlesse, much lesse a prelate that would be esteemed, graue, learned or wise. Not∣withstanding this his submission, the king commenced a complaint against him at Rome, banished him the realme, and seased vpon all his goods, mooueable and vnmooueable, forbidding all his subiects vpon great paine to foster him or yéeld him any manner of intertainment. He was in that case

he must haue starued for want of sustenance, had not the monkes of Canterbury secretly taken him in and aduentured to yéeld him things necessary, till they found meanes to shift him beyond sea; which the king afterwards vnderstan∣ding, seased vpon all their goods and lands, turned them all euen fowerscore monks a begging, forbid all men to harbour them, and kept them in that miserable state, till after a cer∣taine space he was content to restore them againe. These were the violent courses were taken by Princes in those daies: how happy are we that in all peace, liberty and assu∣rance, quietly enioy our owne without great desert to the contrary? Two yéeres the Archbishop continued in exile: In which time the king (Edward the first) died, and his sonne Edward the second that was to succeed, thinking it conueni∣ent belike at his first entrance to shew all examples of cle∣mency, called him home by letters, and restored him to all his goods, euen euery peny of that which had béene receiued of his temporalties in his absence. Hereby it came to passe that he was the richest Archbishop of many that were, either before or after him, so that his trouble turned him to great good. In regard whereof, he was woont to say

(Nihil nocebit aduersitas vbi nulla iniquitas dominatur)

so often as he talked of his trouble and banishment. He was no sooner come home but a new danger encountred him occasioned by his owne woonted boldnesse. The yoong king by the counsell of Piers Gaueston (a wanton and vicious man, banished into Ireland by king Edward the first for corrupting his sonne) had com∣mitted the Bishop of Couentry to ward at Yorke: A conuo∣cation being gathered, the Archbishop would not suffer any matter to be debated in the house till the Bishop were set at liberty. This the king was content to beare with all at that time, & afterward he so behaued himselfe, as there neuer grew any dislike betwéene them. So the rest of his age after his re∣turne from banishment (which was sixe yéeres) he passed in quietnes and great prosperity, and died at last at Oxford, May 11. 1313. hauing béene Archbishop about the space of ninetéene yéeres. He was a stout prelate and a seuere punisher of sinne. He opposed himselfe against Piers Gaueston, the Spensers, and other corrupters of the yoong king very boldly.

He enforced Iohn Warren Earle of Surrey to sorsweare the company of a certaine beautifull harlot, with the loue of whom he was greatly bewitched. And afterwards when notwithstanding his oath he returned to her company againe and got children vpon her, he accused him to the Conuocati∣on of adultery and periury both, and at last made him to leaue her. Such preferments as fell to his disposition, he euer bestowed vpon men of excellent learning, despising letters and requests of noble men, which he estéemed not a rush. Ma∣ny poore schollers he maintained at the Uniuersities with li∣berall exhibition, and vnto all kind of poore people was excée∣ding bountiful, insomuch as therin I thinke he excelled all the Archbishops that euer were, either before him or after him. Beside the daily fragments of his house, he gaue euery Fri∣day and Sunday vnto euery begger that came to his doore a loase of bread of a farthing price (which no doubt was bigger then our peny-loafe now.) And there were vsually euery such almes day in time of dearth to the number of 5000. but in a plentifull 4000. and seldome or neuer vnder, which com∣mumbus annis amounted vnto 500. pound a yéere. Ouer and aboue this, he vsed to giue euery great festiuall day 150. pence to so many poore people, to send daily meate, drinke and bread vnto such as by reason of age or sicknes were not able to fetch almes at his gate, & to send money, meate, apparel &c. to such as he thought wanted the same, and were ashamed to begge. But of all other, he was woont to take greatest com∣passion vpon those that by any misfortune were decaied and had fallen from wealth to poorer estate. For these and other vertues, the common people would needes estéeme him a Saint, and frequented much the place of his buriall: There∣fore his tombe (which was situate beside the altar of S, Gre∣gory néere the south wall) was afterwards pulled downe. His bookes, apparell, and other mooueables (which were but of very small value) he gaue all such as they were vnto his church of Canterbury. Of all the Archbishops that possessed this Sée before this man, (which were 48. there was neuer any two that had one Christian name.