Ancient funerall monuments within the vnited monarchie of Great Britaine, Ireland, and the islands adiacent with the dissolued monasteries therein contained: their founders, and what eminent persons haue beene in the same interred. As also the death and buriall of certaine of the bloud royall; the nobilitie and gentrie of these kingdomes entombed in forraine nations. A worke reuiuing the dead memory of the royall progenie, the nobilitie, gentrie, and communaltie, of these his Maiesties dominions. Intermixed and illustrated with variety of historicall obseruations, annotations, and briefe notes, extracted out of approued authors ... Whereunto is prefixed a discourse of funerall monuments ... Composed by the studie and trauels of Iohn Weeuer.

Great Saint Bartholomewes.

This Priorie was founded by one Rahere,* 1.1 a pleasant conceited wittie gen∣tleman, and a Courtier in the raigne of King Henry the first, which he de∣dicated to the honour of God and Saint Bartholomew, and placed therein blacke Canons, or Canons regular; himselfe became their first Prior; his foundation was confirmed in these words.

* 1.2Henricus Rex, &c. Sciatis me concessisse, & presenti carta me confirmasse, Ecclesie beati Bartholomei London, que est Dominica Capella mea; et canonicis dominicis in ea Domino seruientibus, quod sint ab omni subiectione & terrena seruitute liberi; vt sic aliqua Ecclesia in tota Anglia magis libera, &c. dat. per manum nostram apud Winton, 15 Iunij, Anno reg. 37.

Here he died, and was here buried in a faire monument, renewed by Pri∣or Bolton,* 1.3 which Bolton was the last Prior of this house; a great builder and repairer of the Priorie, and the Parish Church, and of diuers lodgings be∣longing to the same: as also of new he builded the Mannor of Canonbury (now called Canbury) at Islington, which belonged to the Canons of this house. This Bolton and the rest of his brethren were portraied vpon a Ta∣ble sometimes hanging in this Church, now it is in Sir Robert Cottons Li∣brarie, holding vp their hands to the Crucifixe, vnder whom, these verses were depensi••d.

Gulielmo Bolton precibus succurrite vestris Qualis erat pater hic, Domus hec, & cetera monstrant.

He died at his Parsonage house at Harrow vpon the hill (as I haue it by relation) the fourth of Edward the sixt, and was there interred.

He surrendred vp this his Priorie the 30 of Henry the 8. which was then valued at 757 l. 8 s. 4 d. ob q. by yeere.

* 1.4Here sometime lay entombed the body of Roger Walden, Bishop of London. Neuer had any man better experience of the variable vncertaintie of worldly felicity, then he; for from the estate of a very poore man, he was suddenly raised to be Treasurer of England (hauing beene first Secretarie to the King,* 1.5 Deane of Yorke, and Treasurer of the towne of Calis) and then made Archbishop of Canterbury; which honour he enioyed not past two yeares, but was remoued from the same, and forced to leade a priuate life a long time. At last being once more lift vp to the honour of this Bi∣shopricke of London; he left this present life within the compasse of the yeere following. Of this man thus writeth Thomas Walsingham, who liued in those times, and much what to the same effect. I will vse his owne lan∣guage.

* 1.6Anno 1406. Dominus Rogerus de Waldene debitum Naturae soluit, qui varia fortuna vectus expertus est sub breui tempore.

Quam sit inconstans, incerta, volubilis ipsa, Errans, instabilis, vaga, quae dum stare putatur, Occidit, et falso mutatur gaudia vultu.

Nempe ex pauperculo factus est Regni Thesaurarius; and so proceeds on forwards with his story. Vpon his monument this Epitaph was inlayd in brasse.

Hic iacet Rogerus de Walden Episcopus Londinens. qui cum in vtraque fortuna plurimū laborauit ex hac vita migrauit, 2 die Nouem. an. dom. 1406,

Vir, cultor verus Domini, iacet intra Rogerus Walden: Fortuna cus nunquam steterat vna.

Nunc requiem tumuli Deus omnipotens dedit illi, Gaudet et in celis plaudet vbi quisque fidelis.

He denied his preferment to the Bishoppricke of London,* 1.7 being pre∣ferred vnto him by the Pope, saying, that he would not accept of it from any but from the king. As I finde thus recorded in the Tower.

Cum summus Pontifex nuper prouidisset Rogero Walden de Ecclesia Ca∣thedral. London, prefatus tamen Rogerus dominicum beneficium sine Regis assensu, et licentia acceptare noluit, nec vult ni presenti Rex concedit eidem Rogero licentiam quod ipse tanquam verus Pastor, et Episcopus dicte Ecclesie Cathedralis eandem ecclesiam capere valeat et acceptare T. R. apud W. 24. Iunij.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The foundati∣on of great Saint Bartho∣lomewes.
• * 1.2

  〈◊〉〈◊〉 Arch Tuvr•• London. Ca••t. Ant. hier ••, l.
• * 1.3

  ••illiam Bolton the last Prior of S Bartholo∣mewes.
• * 1.4

  Roger Walden Bishop of Lon∣don.
• * 1.5

  Godwin de prae∣sulibus Angl.
• * 1.6

  Vpodigma Neustricae.
• * 1.7

  2. Pars. Pat. An. 6 H. 4. M. 20.