The Acts of English Votaries, Religious tract · Part 68 – Part 84
¶Holye water, with a boke agaynst marryage.
IN the yeare of our Lord .DCCC. LVIII.858 as a serten daydeuyll at the forsayd Maguncia was hunted of the prestes with processyon and holye water,A prest. for dyuerslye vexynge the cytie, he hyd hym selfe for feare (they saye) vndre one of the prestes copes▪ saynge. He myght wele be bolde there, consyderynge he had by hym the fleshlye occupyenge of the generall proctours doughter there. This relygyouse example of holye churche sheweth Sigebertus, Vincencius, Antoninus, page missing Capgraue in uita Etheldrede. Ethelstanus a monke,Ethelstanꝰ a monke maryed at one tyme takynge presthode with Dunstane and Ethelwolde, within a whyle after left all hys orders and toke hym to a wyfe. Wherfor they prophecyed of hym that hys ende shulde be myserable. And bycause they wolde apere no false Prophetes, they inchaunted hym, charmed hym, and changed hym in to an ele,A myracle. and so he lyued in the water euer after with a great sort more of hys companye. Wherupon (they saye) that monasterye and towne hath euer sens bene called Elye.Elye. Guilhelmus Malmesburye et Ioannes Capgraue. A yonge infante called Brithgina,Brithgina. beynge nomore than one daye olde, professed Elphegus into the monasterye of wylton aboute the same tyme. So ded he also an other called Wilfhilda, into the nondrye of Wynchestre, so sone as she was weaned from sucke. Whom afterwarde kynge Edgare claymed in marryage,Wilfhilda. but she was to famylyer with Ethelwolde a monke and a bysshop, to graunt therunto. Whan he came to the howse where she was afterwarde abbasse, there was no small fyllynge in of cuppes, Ioannes Capgraue.
¶Miracles and wonders wrought.
VVhan Odo the Byshopp of Salysburye …as elected Archebyshopp of Caunterburye in the yeare of our lorde .DCCCC. and .xlvi.Odo. he wolde in no case be consecrated,946. tyll he was by the abbot of Floriake professed a monke.Floriacus. Partlye bycause all hys predecessours in that seate to the nombre of .xxi. had bene monkes, and partlye for that the prestes in those dayes were in hate of the people for their marryage at the monkes suggestyons. And after he had receyued hys palle with Antichristes autoryte from Rome,the kynges concubines he wexed so frantyck vponupon the kynges concubynes, that some of them he sealed in the faces with hote burnynge Irons most shamefullye, and some of them he bannyshed into Irelande for euer, but vntounto hys owne store he was gentyll ynough. For most haynouse heresye helde he than the christen marryage of prestes, and made synodall constytucyons agaynst yt, to enryche the mōkes through that craftye colour with their great possessyons.Constytucyōs. Hys neuye Oswalde founde he to scole at floryake the welsprynge of Necromancye,Oswalde. to lerne there all craftye seyences.Floriacus. In hys tyme was a stryfe amonge the clergye at Caunterburye, for Christes fleshe and bloode in the Sacramente, the prestes most ernestly affyrmynge yt to remayne styll breade … an onlye fygure of Christes bodye,The sacramēt. and the monkes to be Christes essencyall bodye, yea Christ hymselfe. But whā scripturs fayled ones vponupon the monkes syde▪ they were dryuen to false myracles o… playne experymentes of sorcerye. For Odo by a cast of legerdemayne, shewed vntounto the people a broken host bledynge,Myracles. as a popishe prest called sir Nicolas Gerues ded a. ij. years a go in Surreye, by pryckynge hys fyngar with a pynnne.
¶Monkerye augmented by Dunstane.
SAynt Dunstane here in Englā de beynge taught of Iryshe mō kes at Glastenburye,Dunstanus magnꝰ. was founde verye connynge in wāton musyck, in sorcerye, and in Image makynge out of all maner metals, stone, and kyndes of wode. By these and soche lyke occupyenges, he founde the meanes to augmēt and enryche the monasteryes of mōkes and nonnes euerye where whithin Englande, not withstandynge he had oft tymes moche a do with deuyls and with women. Yet had he at length these pryuyleges than aboue all other spirytuall doers. He wanne by hys musyck and fayre speche,musyck the good fauer of dyuerse women, yea, of some whiche had bene the kynges cōcubynes, as Alfgyne, wilfrith and soche other, though he afore had put them to paynes. By hys sorceryes,sorcerye he alwayes made the kynges fytt for hys ghostlye purpose, as wyll apere herafter, specyallye by kynge Edmonde that was Ethelſtanes brother, whom by hys necromancye he brought to the poynte, inuysysyblye to hauehave bene torne in peces. What he gote by hys Image makynge,Caruynge. the scripture sheweth playne, whiche curseth both the hande and the instrument of the Image maker. Sapi. 14. and Deutro. 27. Thys storye declareth more at large Osbertus monachus in uita Dunstani, Vincencius. li. 24. Ca. 74. Antoninus par. 2.autours …i. 16. Ca. 6. Martanus Scotus, Guilhelmus Malmesburiensis, Ranulphus Cestrensis li. 6. Cap. 10. Volateranus, Bergomas, Nauclerus, Iohan Capgraue, Iohan hardynge Vuyllyam Caxton, Iohan 1. yd gate, and Robert Fabyane.
The relygyouse Occupyenge of Dunstane.
AS Dunstane in the howse of a wydowe was fashyonynge a prestes stoole, hys harpe hangynge vponupon the wall without towchynge sownded the note of Gaudent in celis. A caste or feate.Wherupon the wenches astoyned, went out of the howse with the wydowe & all her howsholde, proclamynge yt a brode, that he had moche more lernynge thā was good. For thys & soche lyke feates, ſerten men tolde page missing I thynke thys playe sumwhat passed course legerdemayne. After that was Dū stane the hygh stewarde of hys howse, & had ouer all the realme a iurysdycyon. Of Glastenburye was he put in perpetuall possessyon,Glastē burye. to make therof what he wolde. And so bycame yt first of all Saynt Benettes patrymonye. Antedicti Autores. Lete all the Popes armye stande vp here, and allowe thys styll for a myracle, as they hauehave done hytherto in hys legende, yet do not I doubt to proue yt agaynst them all, abhomynable knauerye by the scripturs.
¶He vexeth kynge Edwyne, retaynynge hys concubyne.
AS kynge Edwyne vponupon the daye of hys coronacyon occupyed Alfgina hys concubyne, hauynge thā non other wyfe,Edwinus. alfgina Dunstane beynge at that tyme but a mōke and abbot of Glastenburye, plucked them both vyolentlye from the bedde, and brought their before the Archebyshopp Odo,Odo cā tuariensis. threttenynge the woman suspensyon, ye maye call yt hangynge yf ye wyll. For the whyche the kynge after that exyled the seyd Dū stane into Flanders, & wrought the monkes manye other dyspleasurs, tyll they founde the meanes to depose hym, by the vertu of eare confessyon.Confession. Voleteranus. li. 3 Geographic, Osbertus, Vincencius, Antoninus, Guilhelmus Ranulphus & Ioannes Capgraue. Yet in the conclusyon (they saye) he delyuered Kynge Edwynes sowle, after he was dead, from hell (I praye God he kylled hym not afore) and vanquyshed all the deuyls there by vertu of a Requiem masse,Masse of requiem. so bryngynge hym into their purgatorye. This was (I trowe) no badde ware. As a serten noble womā called Alfgina (the Kynges former concubine I feare me) possessynge great substaunce,alfgina loueth. had ones commoned with Dunstane, she so delyghted in hys fayre wordes (for hys aduauntage) that she wolde neuer after from hym, but dwell with hym styll for terme of lyfe.Strōge louelove. She left her owne howse and buylded her an habytacyon by the churche, louynglye intertaynynge men of holye orders. In conclusyon whan she departed the worlde, she left her great coffers and treasure bagges with Dūstane to dyspose for her soule (she had hearde of Kynge Edwyne) with the which he after that buylded fyne monasteryes. Ioan. Cap. in Cat. sāc. An.
¶Dunstane kepeth the Kynges of Englande vndre.
DVnstane was excedyngly beloued with Cadina Kynge Eldredes mother (these are the playne wordes,Cadina loueth. of the hystory) & he loued her excedynglye agayne. And whā he ones became page missing lyke vntounto the tyrannye of these spirituall Antichristes, thus cruellye handelynge, a man that ys dead. This sheweth more at large, Liuthprandus Ticinensis▪ li. 2. Capi. 13.autours ac li. 3 Cap, 12. rerum Europicarum. Blondus Flauius, Baptista Platina, Ioannes Stella, Abbas Vrspergensis, Ptolomeus Lucensis, Vincencius, Antoninus, Bergomas & alij.
¶The chastyte of holye churche there.
THeodora a most execrable whore,Theora cum filiabus and aduonterouse mother to the forsayd Marozia ād theodora the yongar (both vnshamefast whores also) so burned in concupiscens of the bewtye of one Iohan Rauennas a prest,Ioānes Rauennas, than sēt in massage to the pope by Peter the Archebyshop of Rauenna, that she not only moued hym, but also compelled hym to lye with her, ād so become her peramoure dere. This whore for hys lecherouse occupyenge of her, made him first Byshop of Bononye, than Archebyshop of hys owne natyue cytye Rauē na, and fynallye Saynt Peters vycar in Rome, called Iohan the .x.Ioan the .x pope of that name, that she myght at all tymes hauehave hys companye nygher home. This was done in the yeare of our Lorde. DCCCC. and. xv.915 and he gouerned the papacye there .xiij. years and more. Liuthprandus Ticinensis li. 2. Dap. 13. rerum per Europam gestarum. It is easye to se by this open experiment, that she and her .ij. doughters myght do moche in the holye college of cardynalles.whores rule all. He that iudgeth not that churche to be whoryshe, which was so depelye vndre the rule of whores, that they at their pleasure myght appoynt thervnto what head rulers they wolde, hath lytle good iudgement in hym, I thynke.
¶A popes bastarde ys made pope
GVido the marques of Thuscia,Guido & Mazozia. at the lattre marryed Pope Sergius whore Marozia. Which wyllynge to preferre vntounto Saynt Peters seate, the bastarde whom she had by the seyd Pope, caused hym to enpryson her mothers dere peramoure Iohan the .x. and to stoppe vp hys breathe with a pyllowe. Immedyatlye after, which was the yeare of our Lorde .DCCCC. ād xxix.929 was he constytute pope, and called Iohā the xi.Ioā. xi but the same self yeare he was deposed agayne. Wherupon she clerly left all spirytuall occupyenge, and in displeasure of the prelates, marryed her self louelove after her husbandes deathe to one hugh the Kynge of Italye,Hugo rex Italie. which was her other husbandes brother by the mothers syde, and made hym the monarke of Rome to recouer agayne this lost dignyte for her bastarde. Thus shewed she her self to be a playne Herodias, besydes her other vnshamefast whoredomes in the spity… page missing Thys holye successour of Peter and vȳ car of Christ (as they call popes) was accused of hys Cardynalles and Byshoppes vntounto the Emprour Otho in the generall Synode at Rome, that he wolde saye no seruyce,Synodus Rome. he massed without consecracyon, he gaue holye orders in hys stable, he made boyes Byshoppes for moneye, he wolde neuer blesse hymself, he forced not to be periured, and made the holye palace of Laternense a verye stewes. For he kepte therin Raynerathe wyfe of hym that was knyght for hys owne bodye,rainera and gaue her great possessyons, with benefyces, goldē chalyces, and crosses. He helde also Stephana and her systre,Stephana (which had bene hys fathers concubyne) and had by her a bastarde not longe afore. He occupyed at hys pleasure Anna a freshe wydowe,Anna her doughter also and doughters doughter. He spared neyther hygh nor lowe, olde nor yonge, poore nor rytche, fayre nor foule (they sayd) so that no women durst come vntounto Rome on pylgrymage in hys tyme.Rome sacryfyce. Neyther reuerenced he anye place, but wolde do yt euerye where, yea, vponupon their verye aulters. He wolde hawke, hunte, daunce,, leape, dyce, sweare, fyght, ryot, roune, straye abrode in the nyght breakynge vppe dores and wyndowes, and burne manye mennys howses, One of hys Cardynalles he gelded,He myght be chast he put out an others eyes whyche had bene hys godfather. Of some he borowed an hande, of some a tunge, a fynger, a nose, an eare. In hys dyce playnge wolde he call vponupon yll spretes, and drynke to the deuyll for louelove. Thus was he in the ende deposed,Their spirytuall father. tyll hys dere dyamōdes sett hā des vntounto yt (for they ruled all) ād caused the Romaynes to sett hym in agayne.
¶Dunstanes autoryte agaynst marryed prestes.
THe papacye helde thys Iohā the .xij.Ioā. xij. for the space of .ix. years .iij. monthes, and .v. dayes, and was s…kē of the deuyll (they saye) as he was lyenge in bedde with a mannys wyfe, & so dyed within .viij. dayes after without howsell or shrift, they saye. All thys writeth of hym the foreseyd Liuthprandus Liuthprādus.li. 6. Ca. 6. and so fourth .v. chapters more to the ende almoste of hys boke, whiche at the same selfe tyme dwelt at Ticina in Italye. Thys ys he of whome the byworde ryse, As myrye as Pope Iohan.By worde. Ʋnto thys holye vycar of Sathan & successour of Symon Magus, went Dunstane out of Englande in the yeare of our lorde. DCCCC. and .lx.960. to be cōfyrmed archebyshop of Caunterburye.Dunstanus. And there receyued therwith for a great summe of moneye, autoryte & power of the Beast, Apoca. 13. vtterlye to dyssolue prestes maryage, that hys monkes by that meanes, myght possesse the cathedrall churches of Englande, as within a whyle after they ded. Thys Dunstane (as witnesseth Iohā Capgraue) was the first that in thys realme compelled men and women to vowe chastyte and to kepe claustrale obedyence,the first compulsyon. agaynste the fre doctryne of Saynte Paule. 1 Cor. 7. et Gala. 5. Forbyddynge marryage instytuted of God, whiche ys the verye doctryne of deuils.Foundacyon of chastyte 1. Timoth. 4 Thys ys the worthye orygynall and first foundacyon of monkes and prestes professed chastyte in Englande. marke yt with the sequele, and tell me herafter, whether yt be of the deuyll or naye.
¶Dunstane executeth hys deuylyshe commyssyon.
THys craftye merchaunde Dūstane,The deuyls cō myssyoner. as he was returned agayne into Englāde, by autoryte of this most execrable monstre and wycked Antichrist, gaue a strayght commaundemēt that prestes out of hāde shuld put awaye their lawfull wyues (whō that brēt consepenced hypocryte called the vessels of fornycacyon) els wolde he (he sayd) accordynge to hys commyssyon,A thefe put them both from benefyce and lyuynge. And where as he perceyued the benefyces most welthye, there was he most gredye vponupon them, and shewed most vyolence & tyrannye. For whan the hygh deanes of cathedrall churches,A tyraunt. masters of colleges, prebendes, persones, and vycars wolde not at so beastly a commaundement, leaue their wyues and chyldren so desolate without all naturall ordre, he gote vntounto hym the great power of kynge Edgare,Kynge Edgare to assyst that creull commyssyon of hys, procured for moneye of the former Antichrist of Rome, and by force therof in manye places most tyrannouslye expelled them. Ioānes Capgraue in Catalogo sanctorum Anglie. Reade all the Byble and Chronycles ouer, of Nemroth, Pharao, Antiochus, Nero, Decius, Traianus, with other lyke,Tyrannye spirytuall. and I thynke, ye shall not fynde a more tyrannouse example. No, not in cruell Herode hys selfe. For though he slewe the innocent babes, yet demynyshed he not the lyuynge of the fathers and mothers, but thys tyraunt toke all with hym. If he had sought a Godlye reformacyon where marryage was abused, yt had bene sumwhat commendable. But hys huntynge was to destroye yt all togyther,Maryage condēpned. as an horryble vyce in prestes, and in place therof to sett up Sodome and Gomor by a sort of Hypocryte monkes, so changynge all godlye ordre.
¶Kynge Edgare ys brought vndre therby.
THus bycame the face, first of the Brytonysh and than of the Englysh churche sore changed,Facies ecclesiarum. blemyshed, and by whorysh commyssyons frō the whorysh byshoppes of the whorysh Synagoge of Rome, was made all togyther whoryshe. Proue me herin a lyer and an heretyke yf ye can, for I wyll, by the helpe of God, stāde by that I write here to the ende of my lyfe. If ye can not (I speake onlye to yow papystycall byshoppes and prestes) graunt your selues to be the most theues, heretykes,Heretykes and theues. and seducers of the people, that euer yet reigned vponupon the earthe, for maynteynynge for holynesse so deuylysh a knauerye. Immedyatlye after thys be fell a sore chaunce, as God walde. Kynge Edgare which was euer a great whore mastre and a tyraunte (as the Chronycles report hym) had a do with a yonge mayde called wilfrith,wilfrith brought vp in the nondrye of wylton (parauenture to their vse) wherupon by force of the former commyssyon, he was condempned of Dunstane to .vij. years penaunce, and myght in no wyse be dyspensed with,Penaū ce. tyll he had buylded for their commodyte the great nondrye of Shaftesburye with .xij. other monasteryes besydes. Specyallye tyll he had fullye graunted to the vtter condempnacyon of prestes maryage through out all hys realme, and fyrmelye promysed to put the monkes in their rowmes in the great cathedrall churches,An apyshe liaue writynge to the pope for the same. For as witnesseth both Vuyllyam of Malmesburye, Ranulph of Chestre, Guido de columna, and Robert sabyane, he was not crowned tyll the .xij. yeare of hys reigne.
¶Dunstane fashyoneth the kynge to hys purpose.
IN the ende, thys aduoutrye of the kynge made greatlye for their purpose. For whan yt was ones openlye knowne, Dunstane with hys Bulle went by and by vntounto hym, and by force therof denounced hym accursed.The beastes autoryte. The kynge of gentylnesse, as he was cō mynge towardes hym, arose out of hys regall seate to take hym by the hande ād geue hym place. The hystorye sayth, that he than dysdayned to geue hym hys hande. And lokynge vponupon hym with bende browes and most spyghtfull countenaunte, he sayd thus vntounto hym. Thu that hast not feared to corrupte a vyrgyne made handefast to Christ,A proude knaue presumest to towche (a knaue) the consecrate handes of a byshopp? Thu hast defyled the spowse of thy maker (a monkes wanton) and thynkest by flatterynge seruyce, to pacyfye (a page missing But what matter maketh yt whiche of them yt was, whan all they are allowed now for canonysed Sayntes in the popes whoryshe churche.All sayntes Yea, the whoremonger, the whore, the whoryshe bastarde and all, to sett whoryshnesse forewarde and make yt apere holye, where marryage ys thought vnholye. And as for the mother of Edwarde,The mother. Iohan Hardynge nameth her Elflede, Polydorus Elfrede, Wyllyam of Malmesburye, Ranulphe, & Fabyane calleth her whyght Egelflede, & Caxton dare geue her no name, and therfore the matter ys doubtfull.Dunstane. As Dunstane was on a tyme hallowynge of a churche in the honoure of Saynt deuyll, saynt Deuys I shuld saye, he behelde the ryght thombe of the foreseyd Edithe,Editha. thā beynge abbesse of wylton, as she was crossynge ād blessynge her forhead. And moche delyghtynge therin, he toke yt in hys hande, and sayd. Neuer myght thys thombe peryshe. Immedyatlye after he beynge at Masse and dolouroussye wepynge, sayd vntounto the deacon that serued hym. Alas thys floryshynge floure will fade,Great louelove shewed. thys redolēt rose wyll be gone, this dayntye Dyamonde wyll peryshe, thys swete byrde wyll awaye for euer. And after her deathe he founde all her bodye resolued into ashes, except that thombe and the secrete part vndre her bellye, for those .ij. partes of her, he had blessed afore. In dede he was verye homelye to serche so farre.A narrowe sercher. But the cause of thys (they saye) she afterwarde declared vntounto hym in a secrete vysyon. Thys storye sheweth Vuillyā of Malmesburye. li. 2. de pontificibus. Ranulphus in polychronico, li. 6. Ca. 9. Vincencius, li. 25. Ca. 33. Antoninus. par. 2. ti. 16. Ca. 8 Iohannes Capgraue in uita Edithe.
¶Kynges become th Beastes Images.
Ʋ Ʋhan Kynge Edgare had ones perfourmed hys .vij.Edgare years penaūce for hys aduowterye with fayre Wilfrith (whom Dūstane parauē ture prepared for hys owne store) he became altogyther the dumme Image of the Beast,Imago Bestie. and myght not vtter frō thens fourth, but as they gaue hym sprete. Apo. i…. Than caused they hym to call a generall counsell (at London some saye) in the yeare of our lordeSynodus. .DCCCC. and .lxix.969 by the vngracyouse autoryte of the aforeseyd pope Iohan. And there was yt fullye enacted, and establyshed for a lawe euer to endure, that all canons of cathedrall churches, collygeners, persons, curates, vycars, prestes, deacons,An Acte for sodome. and subdeacons shuld eyther lyue chast, that ys to saye, become Sodomytes (for that hath bene their chastyte euer sens) or els be suspended from all spirytuall iurysdyccyon. Thys more than Pharaonycall constytucyō,Tyrannye. was the kynge sworne to ayde, maynteyne, and defende with the materyall swerde, by the popes antoryte. Thā were there chosen oute .ij. pryncypall vysytours, Ethelwolde the Byshopp of Wynchestre (that nest ys euer vngracyouse) & Oswalde the Byshopp of Worcestre, both monkes, to se thys throughe out the whole realme executed.Ʋysytours. Vincencius li. 24. Cap. 83. Antoninus par. 2. li. 16. Cap. 6., Guilhelmus Malmesburye, Ranulphus, Guido de columna, Ioan Capgraue. et opus nouum De utra que potestate. fo. 57.
¶Dunstane ys accused of yll rule.
IN thys counsel were some wyse men (as all these writers wytnesse, though yt be sumwhat fayntly) which layed for their marryage the scripturs,For maryage. and substancyallye proued themselues the maynteyners of vertu therin, ād not of aduouterye as they were there vncharytablye noted. But that wolde not serue thē. The holye Ghost myght in no wyse preuayle,Bulles the popes bawdye bulles beynge in place, but they must nedes hauehave the preferment, no remedye. An other sort were there which accused Dunstane of yll rule in the darke.Dunstane accused For Petrus Equilinus sayth in Catalogo Sanctorum li. 8. Ca. 49. that he was put to hys purgacyon of manye thyngs there layed agaynst hym. Of a lyekelyhode therfore they had smelled oute sumwhat that was not all to hys spirytuall honestye. Neyther wolde these accusacyons helpe, the popes Power ones so largelye publyshed. The kynge durst vtter nothynge that was agaynst hym,Edgare for feare of newe penaunce, and for as moche as yt was wele knowne that in the tyme of hys olde penaunce he had occupyed one mynyon at Wynchestre, an other at Andouer,alfreda. besydes alfrede whō he at the lattre gote to wyfe by the craftye mourther of her husbāde Ethelwolde an earle.
¶The kynge defendeth Dunstane & destroyeth wolues.
BƲt to pacyfye and please thys Dunstane,Oratio ad clerū kynge Edgare in hys oracyon there to the clergye, rebuked the prestes verye sore, for banketynge with their wyues, for slacknesse of their masse saynges, for pretermyttynge their canonycall houres, for their crownes ſhauynges with their vnprestlye aparellynges, and soche other lyke. More ouer he alleged vntounto thē in the seyd oracyon the lamentable complayntes (good knauerye I warāde yow) of hys fathers sowle aperynge to Dunstane,Knauerye. and reprouynge the wantō behauer of the prestes with their wyues. He also tolde them, in repressynge their former accusementes, that page missing by hys peramoure Stephana) of hys breames and vysyons for the tyme of hys progresse,Stephana desyeryng hys power agaynst the prestes also, with manye other wonders. Iohānes Capgraue in Catal. Guilhelmus Malmesburye, Vincencius, Antoninus, Ranulphus, Guido de columna▪ et Polydorus.
¶Oswalde with hys Beastlye autoryte.
ON the other syde went Oswalde with hys autoryte frō that wycked counsell,Oswaldus magus. which had stodyed necromancye with other vnpure scyēces at floryake besydes Orleaunce in frāce, where he was first made monke, and afterwarde in Englande bycame byshopp of Worcestre.Floria…us. Thys fellawe so wele armed with deceytes as euer were Pharaoes sorcerers, was thought a man mete to deceyue with lyenge sygnes the commō sort. So trudged he fourth with hys craftye ca…kynges, and first expelled the Canons of the cathedrall churche of worcestre with their carefull wyues and chyldren,Prestes expelled and out of .vij. other churches more within that hys dyoces, and there placed for them the laysye leane locustes, which not longe afore had leaped out of the bottomlesse pytt. Apoca. 9.Apoc. 9 the monkes which at that tyme were bare and nedye. Thā went he farther abrode, and wrought there lyke masteryes, wherof Englāde hathdepelye felt euer sens. Hys suggestyons were lyke the other,a colour as that the prestes lyued wantonlye, and wolde not masse in due forme. For hys trauayle in thys, was he made archebyshop of Yorke by the laboure of Dunstane. To tell hys other feates yt wolde axe to moche tyme, and therfor I passe yt ouer.iij. false knaues. These .ij. promoted the seyd Dūstane aboue all other, as men hauynge most wylye craftes, to assyst hym in hys busynesse. These .iij. Monkes brought the Kynges so vndre, that they had than all the realme at their pleasures. Ioannes Capgraue, Malmesburye, Vincencius, Antoninus, Ranulphus, Guido de Columna, et Polydorus.
¶Dunstane maketh a Kynge at hys pleasure.
AFter the decease of Kynge Edgare, in the yeare of our lorde. DCCCC. and .lxxv.975. was a wonderfull varyete and scysme through out the whole realme,Scisma partlye for hym that next shuld succede Kynge, and partlye for the great iniurye done to the marryed prestes.Alpherus. The quene Alfrede with Alpherus the duke of Mercia and other great lordes fauorynge her quarell worlde nedes hauehave Ethelrede Kynge whiche was her sonne by Edgare,Ethelredus. on the one syde. Dunstane and hys mōkyshe byshoppes with the earle and Eastsexe and serten other lordes page missing part both of the nobles and commons, iudged the prestes to hauehave great wronge, and sought euerye where by all meanes possyble,Ba…kare, sir monke. to brynge them agayne to their olde possessyōs and dygnytees. Yea, sum where with good ernest blowes and buffettes. Robertus Fabyane cum antedictis Autoribus.