The first-[third] tome of an exact chronological vindication and historical demonstration of our British, Roman, Saxon, Danish, Norman, English kings supreme ecclesiastical jurisdiction from the original planting, embracing of Christian religion therein, and reign of Lucius, our first Christian king, till the death of King Richard the First, Anno Domini 1199 ... / by William Prynne, Esq.

JOhannes Dei gratia rex Angliae, dominus Hiberniae, &c. Sciatis Moniales de* 1.1 Ambresburia, circiter xxx. propter vitae suae turpiditudinem, & ordinis sui disso∣lutionem, & infamiam quae divulgabatur publicè, mandato domini papae Alexandri, voluntate etiam domini regis Henerici patris nostri, consilio quoque & prudentia Richardi Cantuariensis archiepiscopi, apostolicae sedis legati, & Joselini, Sarum, & Bartho∣lomei, Exoniensis, & Rogeri Wigornensis, & G. Londonensis, & aliorum plurimorum Epis∣coporum, & Magnatum, & Baronum nostrorum, a monasterio suo fuisse amotas, & in aliis monasteriis collocatas, & moniales de ordine Fontis Ebrardi ibidem, ad serviendum Deo introductas. Quamobrem concedimus, & presenti cartâ confirma∣mus, ordini & religioni Fontis Ebrardi, pro salute animae regis Henerici patris mei, & religionis honestate, pro salute nostra, & omnium antecessorum nostrorum, donationem quam dominus rex Henricus, pater noster, fecit ecclesiae prefatae Fontis Ebrardi, scilicet, ecclesiam sanctae Mariae, & sancti Melori de Ambres∣bery, cum omnibus rebus quae ad eam pertinent, tam in ecclesiasticis quam in mun∣danis possessionibus, ut ordo & instituta ecclesiae Fontis Ebrardi ibidem quiete con∣serventur, & conventus monialium multo major quam fuerat, sub custodia Prio∣rissae, secundum ordinem praefatae ecclesiae Deo famuletur. Hanc ecclesiam, cum▪ omnibus rebus quae ad eam pertinent, & omnes possessiones Fontis Ebrardi, sciatis nos velle manutenere, & defendere, & liberas & quietas esse ab omni seculari ser∣vitio & exactione, & gravamine, & accepisse in manu nostra & defensione, & protectione contra omnes homines sicut propriam nostram & domini regis Henerici, patris nostri, & antecessorum nostrorum elemosinam, &c. (with sundry other Lands)

Quare volumus & firmiter praecipimus quod praedictae moniales, & earum ministri, & servientes, omnes possessiones suas, & elemosinas habeant; & teneant, cum sacha & socha, & Tol & Theam, & Infangenethef & Utfangenethef, & cum omnibus libertatibus, & liberis consuetudinibus, & quietantiis suis in bos∣co, & plano, in pascuis, & pratis, & pasturis, in aquis & molendinis, in viis & semitis, in stagnis & vivariis, in mariscis & piscariis, in grangiis & vergultis, in∣fra burgum & extra, & in omnibus rebus, solutas, liberas, & quietas, de siris & hundredis, de placitis & querelis, & de pecunia pro murdris & latrociniis, & de Hamscka & de Forstall & de Wapentake, & Hidagiis, Geldis, Denegeldis, Hornegeldis, Fornageldis, & assartis factis ante confirmationem domini Regis patris

nostri factam, anno scilicet incarnationis Domini MCLXXIX. & de assisis, & donis, & Scotis, & auxiliis, & operationibus castellorum, domorum, wallorum, parco∣rum, vivariorum, pontium, fossarum, & flegwita, & hengewita, & flemanfrem∣tha, & summagio, & warpeni, & averpeni, & Theingpeny, & hunderedespeni, & de Mischening, & blodewite, & ••ithwite. Et sint in perpetuum quietae per∣totam terram nostram, citra mare, & ultra mare, tam per terram, quam per a∣quam de theoloneo, & passagio, & pontagio, & tallagio, lestagio, stallagio, & de omni consuetudine & omnibus occasionibus quae ad nos, vel ad haeredes nostros, vel successores nostros pertinent vel pertinere possunt, excepta sola justitia mortis & membrorum. Prohibemus etiam regia authoritate a Deo nobis concessa, ne aliquis hominum, sive minister noster, sive alius, in tota terra nostra prae••ato mo∣nasterio, vel ullis rebus ad ipsum pertinentibus, molestiam sive in juriam, sive con∣tumeliam inferat, nec res, vel jura sua, nec nativos, vel fugitivos suos, vel ca∣talla earum, pro consuetudine aliqua, vel servitio aut exactione pro aliqua causa dis∣turbet de rebus suis, quas homines earum affidare poterunt suas esse proprias; nec de aliqua possessione sua in placitum ponatur nisi in praesentia nostra, vel haeredum nostrorum, sicut carta domini regis Henrici patris nostri, & regis Richardi fratris nostri testantur. Testibus Willeilmo comite Arundelliae, R. comite Leicestriae, W. de Stagno, B. camerario, W. de Clapam, W. de Cantilupo, R. de Wanci, W. de Ewla. R. de Montebegun. Dat-per manus Huberti Cantuariensis archiepiscopi, cancella∣rii nostri, xxx. die Augusti apud Rupem Andel. Anno regni nostri primo.

This Patent of King John is recited and confirmed by an Inspeximus, Pat. 22. H. 6. pars 1. m. 14. wherein I shall desire all Romish Votaries to consider, the notorious incontinency of these professed Virgin-Nuns in this age, no lesse then 30. of them in one Abby were notoriously defamed, condemned, thrust out of their Abby, and sent Prisoners to other Houses by Pope Alexander the third his direction, King Henry the second, the Archbishop and Bishops, his Nobles and Barons joynt assents, ratifi∣ed by, and related in 3. Charters, under the Great Seal of England, in three Kings Reigns, (Henry 2. King John, and Henry 6.) as well as related by Roger de Hoveden, therefore no fiction, but an undoubted truth; for which the King, Bishops, and most of his Peers gave their judgement against them: (as King (g 1.2) Edward the Confessor formerly did in a like case, against the Abbesse and Nuns of Berkley) Neither were or are the Nunneries and Nuns in foreign parts more chaste then these were, as (h 1.3) Nicholaus de Clemangiis (Archdeacon of Baion Anno Dom. 1417.) attests in these words. Restant nunc solae Moniales: De his autem plura dicere verecundia prohibet, ne non de caetu Virginum, sed magis de Lupanaribus, de dolis & proca••••a Meretricum, de stupris & incestuosis operibus dandum sermonem, prolixe trahamus. Nam quid obsercro aliud sunt hoc tempore puellarum Monasteria, nisi quedam, non dico Dei Sanctuaria, sed veneris execranda prostibula? Sed lascivorum et impudicorum juvenum ad libidines explendas receptacula, ut idem hodie sit puellam velare, quod et publice ad scortandum exponere. The like is affirmed, attested by (i 1.4) Episcopus Chemnensis, (k 1.5) Cornelius Agrippa, (l 1.6) Claudius Espencaeus, (m 1.7) Alvarus Pelagius, with sundry other Romanists, as well as by our learned John Bale, Bishop of Ossery, for England, in his Acts of English Votaries. But of this enough.

The same first year of his Reign, the Abbot of Westminster dying, the Monks by King Iohns license elected Ralph Arundel, Prior of Harle, for their Abbot; after which electioni facto, Dominus Rex qui praesens aderat assensum praebuit: Whereupon he* 1.8 was consecrated Abbot; No Bishops, Abbots, Priors, or other Ecclesiastical persons being elected to any Dignities, but by the Kings previous license, and subsequent as∣sent to the person elected, who might approve or reject him at his Royal pleasure.

In the second year of his Reign, the Dean and Chapter of Lexoven, within this* 1.9 Kings Hereditary Dominions in France, presuming to elect a Bishop without his con∣sent, he sent this memorable Prohibition to them, to preserve this antient right of the Crown, descended to him from his Ancestors.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Cartae An. 1. Johannis Reg. nu. 103. Car∣tae Antiquae lit. B. nu. 8. Monas∣ticon Anglica∣num Vol. 1. p. 191. Vol. 2. p. 868.
• g 1.2

  Gualt. Mapes & Cambdens Britania in Glostershire, Berkley Castle
• h 1.3

  De Corrupto Ecclesiae statu, c. 23. De im∣impudita vita & conversatio∣ne Monialum; quae fuerant ex Monasteriis Prostituta, & ex puella velata, Scortum publi∣licum, Lugdun. 1613. p. 22.
• i 1.4

  Onus Eccle∣siae, cap. 21, 22, 23.
• k 1.5

  De Vanitate Scientiarum, c. 63.
• l 1.6

  De Continen∣tia, l. 4. c. 11. l. 5. c. 7, 8. l. 6. c. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13. See my Histrioma∣stix, p. 214, 445, 880, 881 882.
• m 1.7

  De Planctu Ecclesiae, l. 2. Artic. 3. & 28
• * 1.8

  n Radulphus de Diceto, Yma∣gines Histor. col. 708.
• * 1.9

  Anno Dom. 1200.