The succession of the bishops of England since the first planting of Christian religion in this island together with the historie of their liues and memorable actions faithfully gathered out of the monuments of antiquity. VVhereunto is prefixed a discourse concerning the first conuersion of our Britaine vnto Christian religion. By Francis Godwin now Bishop of Hereford.

Saint Edmund.

THe Monkes of Canterbury by this time weary of con∣tending with the King,* 1.1 soone after the death of the for∣mer Archbishoppe, chose of their owne accord Ralph Neuill Bishoppe of Chichester, and Chancellor of England; a man very wise and highly in fauour with the King, who liking well of this election, put him in possession of the temporal∣ties by and by. The Pope being requested for his approba∣tation, chanced to enquire of Simon Langton Archdeacon of Canterbury brother vnto Stephen the late Archbishoppe, what maner of man this Ralfe Neuill should be, who told him that he was a hote fellow, stout, subtle, an old courtier, & very gracious with the king; it was much to be doubted, therefore he would set the King and him together by the eares, & cause him to deny the payment of that tribute granted vnto him by King Iohn. This was inough; without more adoo he wil∣led the monks to choose another, neuer alleadging any matter of exception against him. So to a second election they pro∣céeded, and chose one Iohn their Subprior: He went to Rome, and being examined by certaine Cardinals, was adiudged fitte inough for the place; yet the Pope misliked him for his age, and perswaded the good old man to forbeare to take vp∣on him so great a charge in his olde years. Hée yéelded; and therupon a third was elected, one Richard Blundy a student of Oxford. Him also the Pope refused, because for sooth he held two benefices contrary to the Canons, and because it was knowne he had borrowed a great summe of money of Peter Bishop of Winchester, wherewith it was thought he fedde well the Monks that chose him. The Pope then made re∣quest vnto such of the Monks as were at Rome, to chose Ed∣mund Treasurer of Salisbury, a man very well known, and indéed famous for his vertue and great learning. They nei∣ther

durst deny the Popes request, nor would doo any thing in the matter, till they had vnderstoode the pleasure of their Prince, and conferred with the rest o•• their brethren. He was content to take their silence for a sufficient election, & with∣out more adoo sent him the pall into England, little thinking of any such matter. Both the King and the Couent liking wel inough of the man, he was consecrate at Canterbury by Ro∣ger Bishop of London, April 2. 1234. He was borne (as some say) at London, and baptized in the same font Thomas Becket his predecessor had beene. But, other affirme more probably that he was borne at Abingdon in Bar••••shire, being son vnto one Edward Rich a Merchant; his mothers name was Ma∣bell. In their elder yeeres they forsooke each other by mutuall consent, and betooke themselues to a Monastical life. Edmund their sonne they caused to be brought vp in University Col∣ledge at Oxford. Hauing attained vnto reasonable perfection in the knowledge of Diuinity (whereunto his study was chiefely directed) hee applyed himselfe to preaching, where∣in hée tooke great paines; namely in the Counties of Oxford, Glocester, and Worcester, vntill such time as he was called to the Treasurership of Salisbury. Being consecrate Arch∣bishoppe, hée presently fell into the Kinges displeasure, by opposing himselfe against the marriage of Elianor the kings sister with Simon Mountfort Earle of Leicester, because vp∣on the death of the Earle Marshall her first husband she had vowed chastity. To haue this vow dispensed withall, the king procured the Pope to send a Legate into England: his name was Otto a Cardinall. Him also this Archbishop offended; and that so grieuously, by reprehending his monstrous coue∣tousnesse, his bribery and extortion, as euer after he sought to worke him all the mischiefe hée might. The Monkes of Rochester had presented vnto him the (Archbishoppe) one Richard de Wendouer, demaunding of him consecration vnto the Bishopricke of their Church; which he vtterly de∣nied to affoorde, knowing the presented to bée a very vnlear∣ned, and vnsufficient man. Hereupon the Monks appea∣led to Rome; which the Archbishoppe vnderstanding of, ha∣sted him thither also. O••to the Legate endeuoured to stay

him at home; and failing thereof, did his errand so well at Rome, as not onely in that sute, but an other also which he had against Hugh Earle of Arundell in an other cause of appeale, he was ouerthrowne and condemned in a thou∣sand Markes charges to his great disgrace and impone∣rishment. Being at Rome he had complained of many great abuses in England; and amongst the rest, of the long vac••∣cy of Bishoprickes. The Pope seemed willing to redresse these things; and namely concerning that matter, set downe this order, that if any Cathedrall Church continued voide aboue sixe monethes, it should be lawfull for the Archbishop to conferre it where he list, as well as any smaller Benefice. The procuring of this order cost him a great summe of mony: Yet no sooner was his backe turned, but the Pope at the Kings request reuoked the same. Béeing thus continually vexed; thwarted and disgraced, he departed into voluntary exile; and there bewayling the misery of his country, spoiled and wasted by the tyranny of the Pope, spent the rest of his life in continuall teares. Through extreame griefe and sor∣row, or (as some thinke) too much fasting, he fell first into a consumption, and after into a strange kinde of ague. Where∣upon he thought good to remoue from the Abbey of Pontini∣ac in France, (where hée had layen euer since his comming out of England) vnto Soissy, and there departed this li••e, Nouember, 16. 1242. eight yéeres after his first consecrati∣on. His heart and entrailes were buried at Soissy, his bo∣dy of Pontiniac. Within sixe yeeres after his death he was canonized a Saint by Innocentius, the fourth, who appoin∣ted the foresaide day of his death for euer to be kept holy in memory of him. Lewes the French King caused his body to bee translated to a more honourable place then it was first laide in, and bestowed a sumptuous shrine vpon him, coue∣red with golde and siluer, and richly adorned with many precious stones.

Notes

• * 1.1

  1234. Hen. 3.19.