¶A late writer, noting in clergiemen of his age & countrie not onelie the aspiring vice of ambition, Paul. Lang. in Chron citizen. pag. 760. but other disorders also, and monstrous outrages, after a complaint made that gold (by which title he calleth those of the ecclesiasticall order) is turned in|to EEBO page image 55 drosse, and swéet wine become tart vineger, con|cludeth with the illation of the cause hereof compri|sed in this metricall accouplement, saieng:

Dum factor rerum priuaret flamine clerum,

Ad satanae votum successit turba nepotum.

Which he inferred vpon occasion against the pre|posterous elections of vnmeet men into episcopall [...]ées, for that they were not so qualified as the dig|nitie of the place required; otherwise peraduenture enabled with competent knowledge and learning. And suerlie, we may note these inordinate affections from the beginning of this our chronicle in the best (I meane in respect of their estates) of this liuerie, and may iustlie impute it to the defection of Gods spirit in them, whose nature is to plant peace and méekenesse in the harts of his tenants, not discord, not ambition, not the works of darknesse, which be|séeme not the children of light. But to the purpose.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 As the king began (after his libertie obteined) to prouide for warres, Matth. Paris. Earle Robert passeth ouer into Nor|mandie. so earle Robert (after he was discharged) sailed ouer into Normandie, taking with him the sonnes of diuerse Noble men who fauo|red the empresse, whome he deliuered to hir husband the earle of Aniou to be kept as pledges, & earnestlie besought him to passe ouer into England with an armie to aid the empresse.Normandie woone by the earle of An|iou. Howbeit bicause he was newlie intred into the conquest of Normandie, and had alreadie won the most part thereof, he thought good to make first an end of his warres there, ha|uing somewhat to doo against certeine rebels of his owne countie of Aniou, which did not a little molest him. But he recouered (whilest the earle of Gloce|ster was there with him) Alney, Mortaigne, Te|nerchbray, and diuerse other places perteining chief|lie to the earle of Mortaigne: about the same time al|so they of Constances submitted themselues vnto him. Thus the earle of Aniou being occupied in those parties, could not well come into England.