The History of the Worthies of England, Part 1 · Chapter 4

The History of the Worthies of England · Part 1 · Chapter 4

p. 13CHAPTER IV. Of Popes, Cardinals and Prelates before the Reformation.

Popes.

I Meet with a mess of English Natives advanced to that Honour. Pope John-Joan is wholly omitted, partly because we need not charge that See with suspicious and doubtful crimes, whose notorious faults are too apparent; partly because this He-She, though allowed of English extraction, is generally believed born at**Godwin in Catal. Cardinal▪ p. 159. Ments in Germany.

Wonder not that so few of our Countrymen gain'd the Triple-Crown. For first, great our distance from Rome, who being an Island or little World by our selves, had our Archbishop of Canterbury, which formerly was accounted Alterius orbis Papa. Secondly, … …talians of late have ingrossed the Papacy to themselves, and much good may their Monopolie do them, seeing our English may more safely repose themselves in some other seate, then the Papal Chair, more fatal, (it is to be feared) to such as sit therein, than ever**1 Sam. 4. 18.1 Sam 4:18 Eli's proved unto him.

Yea, I assure you, four Popes was a very fair proportion for England; For having perused the voluminous book of Pantaleon, De Viris illustribus Germaniae; I find but six Popes Dutchmen by their Nativity, viz. Stephen the Eighth, Gregory the Fifth, Silvester the Second, Leo the Ninth, Victor the Second, and Adrian the Sixth. Seeing therefore Germany in the Latitude thereof, a Continent five times bigger than England, measured by the aforesaid**He taketh in all the Netherlands. Pantaleon with advantage, I say, seeing Germany, the Emperour whereof is, or ought to be Patron to the Pope, produced but Six of that Order, England's four acquit themselves in a very good appearance.

I need not observe that our English word Pope, came from the Latine Papa, signifying a Father, a Title anciently given to other Bishops, but afterwards fixed on the See of Rome. One would have him call'd Papa by abbreviation, quasi PAter PAtriarcharum, flitting only the two first syllables. A prety conceit, which I dare no more avouch than his Fancy, who affirmed the former syllable in Papa to be short in verse, for the Pope personal, who indeed are short-lived; whilest the same syllable is long, the word being taken for the succession of Popes, who have lasted above a thousand years.

Cardinals.

A word of their Names, Numbers, Degrees, Dignities, Titles and Habit. Cardinals are not so called, because the Hinges on which the Church of Rome doth move; but from Cardo, which signifieth the**Vitruvius, lib. 10. c. 20. end of a Tenon put into a Mortais being accordingly fixed and fastned to their respective Churches. Anciently Cardinalis imported no more than an Ecclesiastical Person, beneficed and inducted into a cure of Soules; and all Bishops generally made Cardinals as well as the Pope of Rome.

In proof whereof, there were anciently Founded in the Church of Saint Pauls, two Cardinals chosen by the Dean and Chapter out of the twelve petty Canons, whose Office it was to take notice of the absence and neglect of all in the Quire, to give the Eucharist to the Minister of that Church and their servants, as well in health as in sickness, to hear Confessions, appoint penance, and to commit the dead to convenient sepulture. And two of them lie buried in the Church of Saint Faiths with these Epitaphes.

Hic homo Catholicus VVilielmus VVest tumulatur,

Pauli Canonicus Minor Ecclesiae vocitatur,

Qui fuerat Cardinalis bonus atque sodalis, &c.

Perpetuis annis memores estote Johannis

Good Succentoris, Cardinalisque minoris, &c.

p. 14Many other Churches besides Saint Pauls retained this custome of Cardinal making.

Viz. Ravenna, Aquileia, Millain, Pisa, Beneventana in Italy, and Compostella in Spain.

But in processe of time Cardinal became appropriated to such as officiated in Rome, and they are reckoned up variously by Authours, Fifty one, fifty three, fifty eight, sixty I believe their number arbitrary to ben creased or diminished, ad libitum Domini Papae. They are divided into three ranks.

The former of these have Chaires allowed them, and may sit down in presence of his Holynesse, and these are seven in number, whose Sees are in the Vicinage of Rome, and some Englishmen have had the honour to be dignified by them.

Bishop of 1 Hostia,

Bishop of 2 Porto, R. Kilwardby.

Bishop of 3 Sabine,

Bishop of 4 Alba, Nic. Breakspeare.

Bishop of 5 Preneste, Bernar. …. Simon ….

Bishop of 6 Rufine.

7 Bishop of Tusculane.

Cardinall Priests succceed, generally accounted twenty eight, divided into foure Septenaries, whose Titles are here presented with such Englishmen, **Sometimes there were▪ several English Cardinals successively of the same Title whose names and numbers will be exhibited in their respective Counties.who attained to be honoured with such Churches in Rome.

Observe I pray you this Catalogue of Titles (taken out of Sir Henry Spelman his Glossary) is imperfect, **Bish. Godwin in his Catalogue of Cardinals, p. 165.St. Pastor, being omitted therein, whereof Boso was at last made Cardinal. For these Cardinals were not so mor…aised to their Churches, but that they might be removed, especially if advanced a Story higher (from Cardinal Deacons to Priests, from Priests to Bishops) and sometimes though remaining on the same flore, they were removed (to make room for others) to some other Title. Many more Englishmen we had created Cardinals, whose certain Titles are unknown. But let us proceed to the Cardinal Deacons 16. in number,

1. St. Mary in Dompusinica.

2. St. Lucy.

3. St. Mary the new.

4. St. Cosmus and St. Damian

5. St. Gregory.

6. St. Mary in the Greek School.

7. St. Mary in the Porch.

8. St. Nicholas by the Prison.

9. St. Angelus.

10. St. Eustachius.

11. St. Mary in the water.

12. St. Mary in the broad way.

13. St. Agathe.

14. St. Lucia on thto p of Sabine.

15. St. Quintin.

16. St. The last lost by the Scribe, in Curia.

I onelyonly find one Englishman Boso by Name made Cardinal Deacon, of St. Cosmus and St. Damian, but it was not long before he was advanced to be a Cardinal Bishop.

p. 15The habit of Cardinals is all Scarlet, whereof Theodore Beza tartly enough, thus expresseth himself.

Crede meae nullo satur antur murice vestes,

Divite nec cocco pallia tincta mihi.

Sed quae rubra vides Sanctorū caede virorū

Et mersa insonti sanguine cuncta madēt.

Aut memor istorū quae celat crimina vestis

Pro Domino justo tincta pudore rubet.

My clothes in Purple liquor ne're were stewd

Nor garments (trust me) richly di'd in grain.

These Robes you see so red, I have imbrew'd

In gore of guiltless Saints, whom I have slain.

Or mindful of the faults thay hide, with shame,

The bashfull clothes do blush their wearers blame.

They wore also a red Hat of a peculiar fashion to themselves, and rid abroad on horsback on scarlet Foot-clothes, and **Platina in ejus vita.Pope Paul the Second, made it penal for any beneath their Order in Rome, to use the same. Yea to such a height of pride did they aspire, that we read this Note in the Roman Pontifical, Notandum, quod Caesar antequam coronetur simplici diademate sedet post primum Episcopum Cardinalem, & si quis Rex adest, sedet tunc post primum omnium Presbyterum Cardinalem. Indeed making their own Canons, and being their own Heralds to Marshal their own precedency, they had been much to blame if not carving a good portion of Honour to themselves, whilest devout Princes, abused by bad Instructors and their own erroneous Consciences, gave to the Clergy what they were pleased to demaund.

None might elect the Pope, save such as were Cardi. yea none out of that Order were eligible into the Papacy, as in England, one must first be a Sergeant before he be a Iudge. Cardinal Deacons were, in equal capacity of being Popes with Cardinal Priests, and oftentimes, were preferred before them as they could strenthen their faction, which carried all in these (and I could wish in no other) Elections.

WILLIAM ALLEN, who died Anno 1594, was the last Englishman advanced to this Honour, so that our Country hath not had a Cardin…l these sixty years, which from the former six hundred years, was never without one or two of that Order. This may seem a wonder, our Nation being as meriting as any for the Romish Cause, and having as good Heads as any, why should they not weare as gay Hats as others? nor will the reasons assigned for the contrary give satisfaction, viz.

1. That the Pope commonly makes Cardinals to gratifie Foreign Kings, whilest our English Soveraigns have ever since been of a different Religion from his Holinesse.

2. That our English Catholicks living beyond Seas in the nature of Exiles, and under persecution (as they call it,) so high an honour is inconsistent with their suffering condition.

3. That our Englishmen want preferment and Estates, to maintain the distance of so great a dignity.

There are at the present two English Natives in France of noble extraction and Romish perswasion, much voyced in common discourse for their probability to such preferment; but on what grounds I do not know, and list not to enquire.

Surely the matter is not great, seeing that dignity hath been observed to be rather fatal then fortunate to the English, and attended with some sad and sudden casualties.

1. Cardinal Mackelsfield was four moneths buried before his Cap was brought him.

2. Cardinal Sertor dyed in Italy in the Juncture of Time, Inter Pileum datum & susceptum.

3. Cardinal Fisher, when his Cap was come to Calis, had his head struck off at Tower-Hill.

4. Cardinal Somercot was poysoned in the very Conclave to prevent his selection to the Popedome.

5. Cardinal Evosham was sent the same way on the same occasion.

6. Cardinal Bambridge was poysoned at Rome, by one of his servants being an Italian.

If such their successe, I suppose it far easier for Englishmen to have their caps (though courser and cheaper) made of our own Countrey-wool, which will be more warm, and may prove more healthful for the wearers thereof. I have done with this Subject, p. 16when I have observed that there is a Cardinal, Bishop of Sabine, a place near Rome; and a Cardinal Priest of Saint Sabine a Church dedicated to her Memory in the same City; the not heeding whereof I suspect hath bred much confusion in our English Writers. The best is, our Englishmen, when they write of Places in Italy cannot commit greater and grosser mistakes, then what Italians have done, when they have wrote of Towns and Places in England; Though perchance such is their pride, that they will say it is our duty to be exact in Italy, and their courtesie to take any notice of England.

Let not the Reader wonder if Cardinals inserted in others, are omitted in our Catalogue, viz. Ulricus, Ancherus, Theobaldus, Bernardus de Anguiscello, &c. Seeing I am unsatisfied in some of them, whether they were Cardinals; in others, whether they were Englishmen, Forreign Countries laying more probable claim unto them. Nor will it quit the cost of a Contest, nothing more then their names being left in History withouta ny other observeables.

Prelates before the Reformation.

Next succeed such eminent Clergy-men who attained to the honour of being ArchBishops and Bishops in England, and were famous in their generations.

Objection. These Popes, Cardinals and Prelates, were superstitious persons and Limbs of Antichrist, whose names are better lost then kept. Yea, it mattered not much, if some good Josiah served their bones as those of the idolatrous Priests of **2 Kings 23. 16.2 Kgs 23:16Jeroboam, even burn them to ashes, that so their bodies and memories might perish together.

Answer. I am afraid our age affords those, who if they were to manage that Act, would together with their bones, sans difference (notwithstanding the distinguishing Epitaph) burn the bodies of the young and old Prophet, I mean utterly extirpate the Ministerial Function. But I answer, it must be confess'd they were deeply died with the Errors and Vices of the Age they lived in, yet so that some of them were for their Devotion exemplary to posterity; and the very worst of them, though yeelding nothing fit for our Imitation, may afford what is well worth our Observation.

And here be it remembred, that the same Epithete in severall places accepts sundry Interpretations. He is called A GOOD MAN in common Discourse, who is not Dignified with Gentilitie; A GOOD MAN upon the Exchange, who hath a responsable Estate; A GOOD MAN in a Camp, who is a tall Man of his Armes; A GOOD MAN in the Church, who is Pious and Devout in his Conversation. Thus whatsoever is fixed therein in other Relations, that Person is A GOOD MAN in History, whose Character affords such Matter as may please the Palate of an Ingenious Reader, and I humbly crave the Honour to be his Taster in this Behalf.

Now of Bishops before the Conquest, the most were meerly nuda Nomina, Naked Names. As for such appearing Clothed with remarkable History, most of them move in an higher Sphere of Saints, and so are anticipated. Since the Conquest; for the first seven Kings, many Prelates were Foreigners, generally French, and so Aliens from our Subject. It will therefore be seasonable to begin their Catalogue about the time of King Henry the Third, deducing it unto the Popish Bishops, who were deprived in the first of Queen Elizabeth.