Fr. Thin. Thomas Ru|thall bishop of Durham.¶This yeare was Thomas Ruthall made bishop of Durham by Henrie the seauenth, touching whose place of birth (being at Cirencester now Cicester) and himselfe, I will not refuse to set downe what Leland (about the yeare 1542) hath written, not be|ing vnfit héere to be recorded.The [...] of Ci [...]ster. Cirencester (saith he) in Latine called Corinium standeth on the riuer Churne.

There haue beene thrée parish churches, whereof saint Cicilies church is cleane downe, being of late but a chappell. Saint Laurence yet standeth, but it is no parish church. There be two poore almes women endued with land. There is now but one parish church in all Cirencester that is verie faire, the bodie of which church is all new worke, to the which Ruthall bishop of Durham [...]borne and brought vp in Ciren|cester) promised much, but (preuented by death) gaue nothing. One Anne Aueling aunt to doctor Ruthall by the mothers side, gaue one hundred markes to the building of that church. King Henrie the first made the hospitall of saint Iohns at Cirencester.

This man thus borne at Cirencester in Gloce|stershire, and made bishop of Durham,The bishop was one of K. Henrie the rights priuie councell. was after the death of king Henrie the seauenth, one of the pri|uie councell to king Henrie the eight, in whose court he was so continuallie attendant, that he could not steale anie time to attend the affaires of his bishop|rike. But yet not altogither carelesse (though not so much as he ought to haue béene) of the place and cause from whence and for which he receiued so great reuenues, as came vnto his hands from that see. He repaired the third part of Tine bridge next vnto the south, which he might well doo; for he was accompted the richest subiect through the realme.The king cõ|mandeth hi [...] to write a booke of the whole estate of y^e kingdo [...]. To whome (re|maining then at the court) the king gaue in charge to write a booke of the whole estate of the kingdome, bicause he was knowne to the king to be a man of sufficiencie for the discharge thereof, which he did ac|cordinglie.

Afterwards, the king commanded cardinall Woolseie to go to this bishop, and to bring the booke awaie with him to deliuer to his maiestie. But see the mishap! that a man in all other things so proui|dent, should now be so negligent: and at that time most forget himselfe, when (as it after fell out) he had most need to haue remembred himselfe. For this bi|shop hauing written two bookes (the one to answer the kings command, and the other intreating of his owne priuate affaires) did bind them both after one sort in vellame, iust of one length, bredth, and thick|nesse, and in all points in such like proportion an|swering one an other, as the one could not by anie e|speciall note be discerned from the other: both which he also laid vp togither in one place of his studie.