* 1.1XIX. CHAP.
1.2. &c. King Ina at Rome builds the Schoole of the English: ••h••re it was seated.
6 7 He there takes a Monasticall Habit. his happy death.
1. IN the year of Grace seaven hundred twenty seaven the devout King Ina fi∣nished his iourney to Rome.* 1.2 At his leaving Brittany he resigned his kingdom to his kins∣man called Ethelard, a worthy Successour of so Noble a Prince. And being thus discharged of so great a burden of secular solicitudes, he performed his iourney more chearfully.
* 1.32. Being arrived at Rome saith Mathew of Westminster, he by the consent and will of Pope Gregory, built in the Citty a certain house, which he would have to be called The Schoole of the En∣glish. To the said house the following Kings of this Nation, the Princes, Bishops, Preists or any other Ecclesiasticks, were to come, to be instructed in the Catholick Faith and learning, to prevent the teaching any perverse doctrine contrary to Ca∣tholick Vnity: and when they were become well established in the Faith, they returned home again▪
3. It seems that not only the Popes in these times, but the Saxon Princes in Brittany thought more convenient, that the youth of this Na∣tion should be taught learning and vertue at Rome rather then publick Schooles should be erected at home. And the reason is given by the same Authour,* 1.4 saying, From the time of S. Augustin our Apostle to this Publick Schooles and Professours of Teaching were by the Bishops of Rome straitly forbidden to the English, by reason of the many Heresies which at the coming of the English into Brittany (at which time the Pagans were mixed with the Christians) did much corrupt the doctrines and Discipline of Christianity. So that the Censure given by the Apostat Bale touching this Foundation does well become him,* 1.5 who affirms, That it was erected to the great mischeif of the English state.
4. Besides this house,* 1.6 the same King Inas built near to it a Church to the honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in which the Divine Mysteries might be celebrated by and for such English as should come to the Citty, and in which if any of them hapned to dye, here they might be buried: Thus writes the same Authour: who in another place declares, that Burrhed last King of the Mer∣cians going in pilgrimage to Rome and there dying,* 1.7 was after a Royall manner buried in the Church of the Blessed Virgin, adioyning to the Schoole of the English.
5▪ It is not easy to determin in what region of this Citty the said Schoole and Church were placed. Severall of our Historians agree that it was the same which is to this day called the Hospitall of the English, or the Hospitall of S. Tho∣mas▪ thus write Polydor, Harpsfeild, Parker▪ &c▪ But other Authours mentioning the frequent conflagrations of it, particularly Anastasiu•• Bi••bliothecarius in his description thereof about the year of Grace eight hundred,* 1.8 twenty three shews that it was seated in the Suburbs, near to the Church of S. Peter, in that place which is now called the Borgo, and anciently Saxia, because a Colony of Saxons was sent thither by Charles the great.
6. King Inas having thus provided for secu∣ring a perpetuall succession and propaga∣tion of the Faith among his countreymen, presently retired himself to a quiet repose in contemplation. He therefore in the ex∣pression o•• William of Malmsbury, cutt off his hair,* 1.9 and cloathing himself with a vile plebeian habit spent the short remainder of his age in a secret retirement. And how acceptable this last sacrifice of himself was to Almighty God,* 1.10 he was pleased to shew by many miracles, saith the same Authour. Now that by this plebeian habit was meant a Monasticall one, the gene∣rall consent of our Historians doe confirm. For the cloathing of Religious persons at the beginning was the same with that of the or∣dinary meaner sort of people: but fashions altering among secular persons, and Religious men not changing, hence it comes that they have a distinct peculiar habit, nothing at all resembling the generall fashion of other men in the world.
7. His life was not prolonged at Rome:* 1.11 For in our Martyrologe he is recorded to have dyed this same year: and his memory is cele∣brated among Saints on the seaventh of Fe∣bruary. Which does not well agree together. For his arrivall at Rome, and the orders taken for such buildings could not be effected so early in the year. Yet that he did not passe through the following year may be colle∣cted from hence, that being dead his Sacred Body was buried with great honour in the entrance of S. Peters Church, by reason that the Church founded by him to the honour of the Blessed Virgin was not quite finished.