Compare 1587 edition: 1 In the meane while died Celſus Biſhop of Ardmagh, after whom ſucceeded Malachias, at the age of .xxxviij. yeares. But before this neare EEBO page image 13 hande the ſpace of two hundred yeares togither, a cuſtome had crepte into the countrey,Married bi|ſhops held the ſea ſucceſsiuely [...] of one fa|milie, neither vvoulde the [...] haue had any other than of the houſe. See S. Bernard in vita Mala|chi Bale. &c. The Bible and ſtaffe. that the Metropolitane ſea was conferred vpon ſuch Bi|ſhops as were maried, and were of the bloud roy|all) in maner by way of inheritance: Wherfore Nigellus or Neale the next of kinred, animated by the patrialitie of ſome princes, and getting in|to his cuſtodie the Bible and ſtaffe, & other mo|numentes of S. Patrike, wherevnto opinion of the common people tyed the prelacie, came to his Palace with a bande of ſouldiors to haue ſlayne the Biſhop: When al the people wept and how|led for his perill, he alone ſtepped into the boſome of his enimies, demaundyng what was theyr purpoſe: The bloodie ſouldiers letting fall theyr weapons in ſted of executing the pretenced mur|der, fell to reuerence him, and at length departed from him as freendes.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 For line all de|ſease of bi|shops.Three yeares he ſate in the primacie rather to diſcontinue the horrible corruption before vſed, than with intent to ſettle himſelfe there.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 After he hadde remoued the abuſe, he procured Orlaſius to ſucceede him in the Archbiſhops ſea, and he returned to his former ſea of Downe, to the which as then was annexed the Biſhopryke of Coner, but Malachias vnderſtanding that in tymes paſt they were .vj. ſeuerall ſeas, he deuided them againe, & ordeined an other to the Biſhop|rike of Coner, deſirous rather to leſſen his cure than to enlarge the frutes by taking more charge vpon hym.