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.

Redborne.

This Redborne in times past was a place renowned,* 1.1 and resorted vnto, in regard of Amphibalus the Martyrs reliques here found. Who instructed S. Alban in the Christian faith (as I haue said before) and for Christs sake suf∣fered death vnder Dioclesian. He was surnamed Deuanius; for that he was borne vpon the riuer of Dee in Wales, the sonne of a Prince, saith his Le∣gend. A man (saith Bale) both for learning and good life vnmatchable,* 1.2 preaching (and that with happie successe) the glad tidings of the Gospell, throughout all the parts of Britaine. For, to escape the execution of the Edict of the Emperour, hee fled from Verulam (with a great number of such as he had conuerted) into the kingdome of Scotland, and into the Isle of Anglesey in Wales; whereof hee was made Bishop, preaching in all places the true and liuely word, disputing and writing against the worship∣pers of false Gods. But being afterwards apprehended, he was brought to the same place where his Scholler Saint Alban suffered martyrdome, and whipped about a stake, whereat his intrailes were tied: so winding his bo∣wels out of his body, was lastly stoned to death, like another Stephen. For whose body some of the persecuted Christians got a stolne buriall here at Redborne; from whence it was remoued with all celebritie, and enshrined by the reliques of (his Scholler) Saint Alban; in the yeare of Grace 1178. the 25. day of Iune.* 1.3 Nullum vnquam tam iucundum tam salutarem diem videt Verulamium (saith Harpsfeeld) occurrebat enim Martyr martyri, Magistro discipulus, hospes H. spiti, & caelestis cruis conciuicaelesti. The Co∣uent of Saint Albans had such a care that his reliques should bee deuoutly preserued, that a decree was made by Thomas then Abbot; that a Prior and three Monkes should be appointed for so sacred an office; for which they were to receiue twenty pounds yearely allowance. Such was the price and estimation in those dayes, of the bones and ashes of religious persons, re∣markable for their holinesse.* 1.4 This Amphibalus was a rare Linguist, and a profound Diuine for those times. He writ a booke against the errours of the Gentiles, and certaine Homilies vpon the foure Euangelists, with other learned works mentioned by Bale.

Sir Richard Read knight, lieth here entombed. Of whom hereafter, ac∣cording to my method.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Amphibalus
• * 1.2

  Bale Cent
• * 1.3

  〈1 paragraph〉〈1 paragraph〉
• * 1.4

  Cent. 1.