12.26. The death of Laurence archbishop of Dublin, and of Iohn Comin made arch|bishop in his place. Chap. 26.

The death of Laurence archbishop of Dublin, and of Iohn Comin made arch|bishop in his place. Chap. 26.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 IN this meane time Laurence archbi|shop of Dublin died at the castell of An|giers in Normandie, about the kalends of December 1180. He was a (1) iust and a good man, but somwhat in displeasure with the king, who had him in suspicion bicause he was at the coun|cell of (2) Laterane, and there inueighed much a|gainst the king of England and his honour; & for that cause in his returne homewards through Norman|die was staied, and in the end there died, where he was buried in the high church of our ladie. After him Iohn Comin an Englishman borne, and a monke in the abbeie of Euenham was by the kings means elected orderlie by the clergie of Dublin archbishop, and afterwards confirmed by pope Lucius at Ui|terbe, where he was also made a cardinall. A man he was verie well learned and eloquent, and verie zealous in causes of the church, wherein he would haue doone verie much good, If shal he had not beene too worldlie, & haue sought to haue pleased worldlie princes, and to haue beene in the kings fauour.

(1) This one thing is and was a common obser|uation in the Romish church, that if anie one had re|ceiued the charact thereof, that although he were ne|uer so rebellious, nor so great a traitor against his prince; yet the same was to be interpreted to be in defense of the holie church, and such a one was coun|ted a godlie and a holie man, though by the scrip|tures he who resisteth his prince is said to resist God himselfe.

(2) The councell of Laterane is said to be one of the greatest synods or generall councels that hath bin, it was kept at Rome vnder pope Innocent the third An. 1204. Manie decrées were there made for the aduancing of the Romish antichrist: but yet the councell could not be brought to his full perfection by reason of the ciuill wars in Italie. But among o|ther decrées this was concluded, that all controuer|sies betwéene kings and princes, the correction ther|of should apperteine to the pope: as also no man should be counted emperour, except the pope had ad|mitted him and crowned him.

12.27. The comming of Iohn the kings sonne into Ireland. Chap. 27.

The comming of Iohn the kings sonne into Ireland. Chap. 27.

THe king to aduance his yoonger sonne named Iohn had giuen him the dominion ouer Ireland, and he therevpon had taken homage of sundrie persons for the same: and now minding to bring the same to a finall end & perfect order, sendeth ouer into Ireland before his sonne Iohn the new archbishop of Dublin, who as a forerunner vnto his sonne should prepare all things in readinesse against his comming, who foorthwith tooke his iournie about the kalends of August, and sailed ouer into Ireland. Also in the moneth of Sep|tember then next following, he sent ouer Philip of Worcester, a valiant souldier, a sumptuous and a liberall man, with fortie gentlemen, who was com|manded to send ouer (1) Hugh de Lacie, and he to staie there as gouernour of the land vntill Iohn his sonne came ouer. This Philip being thus placed in authoritie, the first thing he did he resumed and tooke into the kings vse the lands in O [...]hathesie, and di|uerse other parcels which Hugh de Lacie had before sold, and these he appointed to serue for the kings pro|uision and diet. And after the winter was past, he as|sembled and mustered all his men and companie, & began to trauell from place to place; and in March about the middle of Lent he came to (2) Armagh, where when he had extorted and perforce exacted from the cleargie there a great masse of monie and trea|sure, he returned vnto the citie of Downe, and from thense to Dublin in safetie: being well laden with gold, siluer, and monie, which he had exacted in euerie place where he came: for other good he did none. In this iournie there happened two strange miracles, Two strange miracles. the one at Armach concerning the great anguish and griefe of (3) Philip when he departed and went out of the towne, the other was of a (4) fornace which Hugh Tirell tooke away from the poore priests at Armagh, as more at large is declared in our to|pographie.

(1) This Hugh de Lacie albeit he were thus sent for, yet he went not ouer, as it appéereth by the course of the histories of this time, he was about building of a castell at Deruagh, and there being among his EEBO page image 49 laborers, and séeing one not to frame verie well in his worke, taught him what he should doo, taking his pickeax in both his hands and brake the ground. This wicked Irishman when he saw his lord and master thus stooping and labouring, suddenlie came behind him, and with his ax or weapon strake him in the head and slue him, but his inheritance and pos|sessions came & descended to his two sonnes Wal|ter and Hugh.

(2) In Ireland there are foure archbishoprikes, one at Dublin for the prouince of Leinster, another at Cashill for the prouince of Mounster, the third at Thomond for the prouince of Connagh, & the fourth at Armagh for the prouince of Ulster. The chiefest of them is the archbishop of this Armagh, for al|though euerie one of the others be named a primat of Ireland, yet this one alone is named primat of all Ireland; which title he hath partlie bicause he is successour to S. Patrike, who first conuerted Ire|land to the christian faith, and had his see and church at this Armagh; one other cause is bicause this archbi|shop was the first that receiued a pall from the pope, This pall is a certeine inuesture of cloth, which the What the bi|shops pallis. pope haloweth and giueth or sendeth to euerie arch|bishop, who weareth the same vppermost vpon his garment. The nature of this pall, of the first inuen|tion thereof and the causes whie it is giuen to euerie archbishop, is not incident nor apperteining to the course and nature of this historie, and therfore I will omit it. This Armagh was somtimes a faire towne, and therein a faire cathedrall church, lieng farre and remote from all good neighbors, and in the middle of the Onels and other sauage people; the same hath beene and still is and lieth wast: and the archbishop remooued to a house of his named Terseekam, which lieth néere the towne of Drogheda, being a place of better safetie.

(3) The historie is, that this Philip of Worcester being well landed with great riches exacted from the cleargie and departed, he was no sooner out of the towne, but that he was taken with a sudden pang, which for the time was so vehement, that it was sup|posed he would neuer haue recouered it.

(4) This Hugh Tirell among other the spoiles which he tooke, he had a great bruing fornace or pan which serued for the whole house, for which his dooing the priests curssed him, and he caried this along with him vntill he came to the citie of Downe. And on a night he being in his lodging, the same was entred with fire, and the horsses which drew the said pan, as also much goods which they brought with them, and a great part of the towne was burned. In the mor|ning, when he saw the great spoile, and yet the said pan as nothing hurt nor perished, he began to re|pent and be sorie, and so restored the pan againe.

12.28. The comming of Heraclius the patriarch into England. Chap. 28.

The comming of Heraclius the patriarch into England. Chap. 28.

WHile these things were dooing in Ire|land, Heraclius the reuerend patriarch of Ierusalem, hauing gone a long iourneie from the east to the west, came into Eng|land about the beginning of Februarie; who brought with him the keies of the holie citie and sepul|chre, with the kings ensigne and martiall signe, in the behoofe of all the states of the holie land, as well of the brethren of th'order of the temple as hospitall: and with the consent of all the cleargie and laitie, making supplication to king Henrie the second, falling at his féet with teares, and humblie desiring him, that he would be pitifullie mooued to the aid of the holie land, and Christes patrimonie, desperatlie afflicted by the infidels: otherwise affirming (which within two yeares happened) that the whole king|dome would fall shortlie into the hands of the Sol|dane of the Saracens and of Egypt. Oh what a glorie was it to this king and kingdome, that he passing so manie emperours, kings and princes, as though there were no helpe in the middle part of the world, should come into this corner of the earth, & as it were into an other world to require aid! O how worthie, perpetuall and incomparable had the kings glorie béene, if he setting aside other businesse, and forsaking his kingdoms, had taken without delaie (at this calling of Christ) Christes crosse, and haue followed him! Uerelie, he should haue receiued of him the euerlasting kingdome, if he had serued him in this necessitie of whom he receiued his kingdome, and so glorious a grace of gouernement on earth. Oh if he would haue defended here (for his abilitie) the patrimonie of so worthie a kingdome in this point of necessitie, and this triall of deuotion, he might haue béene worthilie fortified in earth by such a patrone and tutor in all his affaires and neces|sities whatsoeuer.