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1587

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Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 Lanfranke archbishop of Canturburie departeth this life.Whilest these things were thus in hand, the arch|bishop Lanfranke falleth sicke and dieth, in the 19. yeare after his first entring into the gouernment of the sea of Canturburie. This Lanfranke (as should seeme) was a wise, politike, and learned prelate, who whilest he liued, mollified the furious and cruell na|ture of king William Rufus, instructing him to for|beare such wild and outragious behauiours as his youthfulnesse was inclined vnto: and moreouer per|suaded the English to obey the same king as their loiall prince, whereby they should occasion him to be their good lord and king, not vsing them rigorouslie as his father had doon. So that Lanfranke could not well haue beene spared in the time of the rebellion, without great danger of subuerting the state of the commonwealth. He builded two hospitals without the citie of Canturburie, for the releefe of poore peo|ple and strangers, the one of S. Iohn, the other at Harbaldowne. He aduanced the church of Rochester from foure secular clerkes, to the number of fiftie moonkes: he repaired Christes church in Canturbu|rie, Matth. Westm. Paule abbat of S. Albons. and the abbey of S. Albons, whereof he made one Paule that was his nephue abbat, which Paule go|uerned that house by his vncles assistance greatlie to the aduancement thereof, as well in temporall as spirituall preferments, as it was then iudged. Like|wise the said Lanfranke was verie fortunate in the gouernement of his church and sée of Canturburie, recouering sundrie portions of lands and rents alie|nated from the same before his daies, insomuch that he restored to that sée 25. manors. For amongst o|ther, Eadmerus. whereas Odo the Bishop of Baieux, who also was Earle of Kent, bearing great rule in England vnder his nephue king William the Conquerour, had vsurped diuerse possessions which belonged to the sée of Canturburie, and had seized the franchises apperteining to the same Lanfranke, into his owne hands, by sute and earnest trauell he recouered the same, and being impleaded about that matter by the said Odo, he so defended his cause, that in the end (though with much [...]) he had his will, and so re|mained in qui [...]t possession [...]f his right after that so long as he liued, without any trouble or vexation concerning the said possessions and liberties.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 Whereas also not onelie Walkhem the bishop of Winchester, but diuerse, other bishops in Eng|land were in mind to haue displaced moonks out of their cathedrall churches, and to haue brought ca|nons into their roomes, Lanfranke withstood them,Lanfranke praised for holding with the moonks. and would tollerate no such dislocation: an act at that time so well liked, that he was highlie commended for the same. After Lanfrankes death, the king be|gan greatlie to forget himselfe in all his dealings, insomuch that he kept many concubines, and waxed verie cruell and inconstant in all his dooings, so that he became an heauie burthen vnto his people.The king gi|uen to sensuall lust and coue|tousnesse. For he was so much addicted to gather goods, that he con|sidered not what perteined to the maiestie of a king, insomuch that nothing tending to his gaine, and the satisfieng of his appetite, was estéemed of him vn|lawfull, sith he measured all things by the vncontrol|led rule of his roialtie, and considered nothing what so high an office required. He kept the sée of Cantur|burie foure yeares in his hands, to sée who would giue most for it, in the meane time taking the pro|fits thereof, and making the vttermost of the same that by any meanes could be deuised.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 The like he vsed when other benefices and abbeies were vacant, Matth. Paris. and furthermore that little which the prince spared, his officers and farmers, no lesse coue|tous than he, conuerted to their aduantage: so that what by the king, and what by his procurators, the church of England was now sore charged and fléeced of hir wealth. Diuerse of hir prelates in like maner were not a little offended, to sée their mother so spoi|led of hir treasure and liuelihood, insomuch that they practised a redresse: and to begin withall, complai|ned of the king to pope Urban: but he was so bu|sied with other troubles of his owne néerer home, that he could haue no time to séeke meanes how to redresse enormities a far off, Wil. Malm. Matt. Paris. whereby the lands and goods belonging to the church here in England were still wastfullie spent and consumed by the king and others, to whome he gaue or let them foorth to farme at his owne pleasure, and to his most commoditie.

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