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.

The Temple Church.

The first Founder hereof is not certainely recorded,* 1.1 some hold that it was built by Dunwallo Mulmutius, about the yeare of the worlds creation, 4748 the precincts whereof, he made a Sanctuary, or a place of refuge for any person therein to be assured of life, liberty, and limbs, of which I haue spoken elsewhere.

Besides these priuiledges vnto Temples, hee constituted diuers good lawes. Of which he writ two bookes, the one called Statuta municipalia, the other Leges iudiciariae, which is as much to say, as the statute Law, and the common Law. Cooke Reports 3 part ad Lect. out of Bale cent. 1. Hauing reduced his Realme into one Monarchie, being before by ciuill warres and dissention,* 1.2 seuered and brought into diuers dominions. Hee raigned 40. yeares, died the yeare of the worlds creation, 4768. and was buried in this place, with other of the British Kings. But it appeareth by this inscription following ouer the Church doore in the stone worke, that this holy Stru¦cture was newly founded of farre later times, and dedicated to the honour of the blessed Virgine: yet I thinke it is farre more ancient.

Anno ab incarnatione Domini M.C.lxxxv. dedicata hec Eccle∣sia in honorem beate Marie,* 1.3 a Domino Eraclio dei gratia Sancte Resurrectionis Ecclesie Patriarcha, 11 Idus Februarij. Qui eam annatim petentibus de iniuncta sibi Penitentia lx. dies indulsit.

Knights Templers were the last Founders of this house, which at the first were certaine noble Souldiers religiously bent, who bound themselues by vow in the hands of the Patriarke of Ierusalem to serue Christ after the manner of Regular canons, in chastitie and obedience, and to defend Chri∣stian Religion, the holy land, and Pilgrimes going to visite the Lords Se∣pulchre, they flourished for a time in high reputation, for pietie and deuo∣tion, but as they increased in wealth, so they fell to wickednesse; insomuch that in the yeere 1308. all the Templers in England, as also in other parts of Christendome, were apprehended and committed to diuers Prisons, and

in the yeare 1312. all their lands were giuen to the Knights Hospitalers of the order of Saint Iohn Baptist, called Saint Iohn of Ierusalem, as I haue said elsewhere.

There are in this Temple many very ancient monuments of famous men, (for out of what respect I know not King Henry the third, and many of the Nobility, desired much to be buried in this Church) shaped in marble, ar∣med, their legges crosse, whose names are not to be gathered, by any in∣scriptions, for that time hath worne them out; vpon the vpper part of one of their portraitures, Camden saith that hee hath read. Comes Penbrochie, and vpon the side this verse.

Miles eram Martis Mars multos vicerat armis. * 1.4Of Mars I was a doughty knight, Mars vanquisht many a man in fight.

* 1.5Vnder which monument lieth William Marshall the elder, Earle of Pen∣broke, a most powerfull man in his time, being the Kings Marshall, Gene∣rall of his Armie, and Protector of the kingdome in the minority of King Henry the third, vntill such time as he the said William died, which was in the yeare 1219. 27 die Martij. This Epitaph following goes also currant for this glorious and triumphant Earle, as an Epitome of his noble vertues.

Sum quem Saturnum sibi sensit Hibernia, Solem Anglia, Mercurium Normannia, Gallia Martem. Irelands Saturne, Englands Sunne am I, The Mars of France, and Normans Mercury: or thus.

Whom Ireland once a Saturne found, England a Sunne to be, Whom Normandy a Mercury, and France Mars, I am he.

This William had fiue sonnes, William, Richard, Gilbert, Walter, and Anselme, all Earles of Penbroke, and Marshals of England.

* 1.6Here by his father vnder the like monument, lieth William the eldest sonne, Earle of Penbroke, Lord of Strighull, Chepstow, Caerwent, Leigh (or Liege) Weshford, Kildare, Ossorie and Carlogh, who died the sixt of Aprill, 1231. as it is in the booke of Wauerly, wherein this Epitaph is made to his memory.

Militis istius mortem dolet Anglia, ridet Wallia, viuentis bella minasque timens. England laments the death of this braue Knight, Wales laughs, he liuing did her so affright.

The Annales of Ireland will haue him to be buried by his brother Ri∣chard, in the Quire of the Friers Predicants in Kilkennie, of whom it was thus written.

Cuius sub fossa Kilkennia continet Ossa, Whose bones bestowed in graue so deep, Kilkenny Towne doth safely keep.

Wheresoeuer he was buried, a Martiall braue Earle he was, which hee

worthily shewed, when as he set vpon Lehwellin Prince of Wales, who inuaded his Territories, in his absence whilst he was prosecuting the warres in Ireland, and returned from that battell a triumphant Conqu••rour.

Vnder another Monument lieth the body of Gilbert Marshall,* 1.7 Earle of Penbroke, and Marshall of England: Lord of Longevile in Normandy, Leinster in Ireland, and of Chepstow, Strighull, and Caerwent in Wales. This Potent Peere of the Realme (saith Mathew Paris, in Ann. 1241.) proclaimed a Turnament (in scorne of the kings authoritie; whereby such disports were forbidden) to be holden at Hertford in the County of Hert¦ford; to which place, when many both of the Nobilitie and Gentrie were assembled; it happened that himselfe running, by the flinging of his horse was cast out of his sadle; and the horse gaue him such a blow on the breast, that he died the same day, being the fifth of the Kalends of Iuly, 1241. as aforesaid.* 1.8 His bowels were interred in the Abbey Church in the Towne of Hertford, with the bowels of one Sir Robert de Say knight, a gallant gen∣tleman, slaine in the same exercise.

These kinde of Iusts or Turnaments were brought in with king Stephen, and practised in many places of England, in such an outragious manner, and with such slaughter of Gentlemen,* 1.9 that to suppresse such an heathenish disport, it was decreed by Parliament, that whosoeuer therein were slaine, should want Christian buriall; and their heires be disinherited.

Hic requiescit

..... R... Ep.... Quondam Visitator generalis ordinis Milicie Templi,* 1.10 in Anglia & in Francia & in Italia.....

This was a fragment of a funeral•• Inscription insculped vpon one of these crosse-legged Monuments; as I found it amongst other Collections by one studious in Antiquities, in Sir Robert Cottons voluminous Librarie: which he proues by the pedegree of the said Lord Rosses, to haue beene made to the memory of one Robert Rosse a Templer, who died about the yeare 1245. and gaue to the Templars his Mannor of Ribston.

William Plantaginet,* 1.11 the fifth sonne of king Henry the third, lieth here interred; who died in his childhood, about the yeare 1256.

En Iacobus templo Bayle requiescit in isto,* 1.12 Qui fuerat gratus medio Templo sociatus, Cui Deus esto pius eius miserando reatus. Vitam mutauit in mensis fine secundi, M. C. quater que dato Lxx quater annumerato Cui sit solamen Christus dic protinus. Amen.

Robertus iacet hic Thorne quem Bristollia quondam* 1.13 Pretoris merito legit ad officium. Huic etinim semper magne Respublica cure; Charior & cunctis Patria duitijs: Ferre inopi auxilium, tristes componere lites, Dulce huic consilio quosque iuuare fuit. Qui pius exaudis miserorum vota precesque, Christe, huic in celis des regione locum.

* 1.14Orate pro anima Richardi Wye socij comititiui interioris Templi. ob. 9. Mar. 1519. Cuius anime.

Domine secundum delictum meum noli me iudicare, Deprecor maiestatem tuam vt tu deleas iniquitatem meam. Ecce quid eris.

* 1.15Hic iacet Willelmus Langham quondam custos huius Templi qui obijt ......... 1437.

Tu prope qui transis, nec dicis aueto, resiste Auribus et corde hec mea dicta tene. Sum quod eris, quod es ipse fui, derisor amare Mortis, dum licuit pace manente frui. Sed veniente nece postquam sum raptus amicis Atque meis famulis orba...... domus. Me contexit humo, deplorauit que iacentem; Inque meos cineres vltima dona dedit. Vnde mei vultus corrosit terra nitorem Queque fuit forme......... Ergo, Deum pro me cum pura mente precare, Vt mihi perpetua pace frui tribuat. Et quicunque rogat pro me comportet in vnum Vt mecum meneat in regione Poli.

* 1.16William Burgh iadis Clerk de Chancelleri Gist icy Dieu de s'alme eyt mercy. Amen.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The first San∣ctuary.
• * 1.2

  The death and buriall of Mu••∣mu••••us Don∣wallo.
• * 1.3

  The Founda∣tion of the Temple Church.
• * 1.4

  Cant. in Mid∣lesex London.
• * 1.5

  William Mar∣shall Earle of Penbroke.
• * 1.6

  William Mar¦shall. the yon∣ger, Earle of Penbroke.
• * 1.7

  G••lbe•••• Ma••••shall Earle of Penbroke.
• * 1.8

  Paris 1••4••.
• * 1.9

  Hastiludium. Paris.
• * 1.10

  Sir Rob. Rosse knight.
• * 1.11

  Will. Planta∣ginet.
• * 1.12

  Iames Bayle.
• * 1.13

  Rob. Thorne.
• * 1.14

  Ric. Wye.
• * 1.15

  Will. Langham Master of the Temple.
• * 1.16

  Will. Burgh.