[276] Cf. Mr. Walter Rye’s articles in “Norf. Antq. Misc.,” vol ii., p. 194, and Archæological Review for 1888, p. 201.
[277] The complaints which meet us in Gower and “Piers Plowman” on this score are more than borne out by the “Shillingford Letters” (Camden Soc., 1871). The worthy Mayor of Exeter reports faithfully to his fellow-citizens what bribes he gives, and to whom.
[278] Chaucer’s pupil Hoccleve speaks almost equally strongly on the mischief of such pardons (“Works,” E.E.T.S., vol. iii., pp. 113 ff).
[279] Clergy is of course here used in the common medieval sense of learning; it does not refer to any body of men.
[280] I.e. the type of perfect religion, “the Christ that is to be.”
[281] Be “found” or provided for, so that they need no longer to live by begging and flattery.
[282] This was very commonly the case even in the greatest cathedrals: typical reports may be found in the easily accessible “York Fabric Rolls” (Surtees Soc.). With regard to Canterbury, a strange legend is current to the effect that Lord Badlesmere was executed in 1322 for his irreverent behaviour in that cathedral. Apart from the extraordinary inherent improbability of any such story, the execution of Lord Badlesmere is one of the best known events in the reign. He was hanged for joining the Earl of Lancaster in open rebellion against Edward, against whom he had fought at Boroughbridge.
[283] Wilkins, iii., 360 ff; “Rot. Parl.” ii., 313. I have given fuller details and references in the 8th of my “Medieval Studies,” “Priests and People” (Simpkins, 1s.).
[284] Taking eight test-periods, which cover four dioceses and a space of nearly forty-five years, I find that, before the Black Death, scarcely more than one-third of the livings in lay gift were presented to men in priest’s orders—the exact proportion is 262 priests to 452 non-priests.
[285] Rashdall, “Universities of Europe,” ii., 613, 701. Merely to reckon the number of years theoretically required for the different degrees, and to argue from this to the solid education of the medieval priest (as has sometimes been done), is to ignore the mass of unimpeachable evidence collected by Dr. Rashdall. Only an extremely small fraction of the students took any theological degree whatever.