[173] Prêt, Somme prêtée. Fr. A sum in advance. W.
[174] “His train was in number one hundred and threescore persons.” This addition is in Dr. Wordsworth’s edition and the later MSS.
[175] He was now fifty-nine years old.
[176] The book of Ceremonies before cited, which was compiled in the reign of Henry VIII. observes: “Upon Easter Day in the morning the ceremonies of the resurrection be very laudable, to put us in remembrance of Christ’s resurrection, which is the cause of our justification.” Strype’s Eccles. Memorials, v. i. p. 294. Records. What these ceremonies were we may collect from the Rubrics upon that day, in the Processionale secundum usum Sarum. fol. 72. edit. 1555; which are to this effect: On Easter Day, before mass, and before the ringing of the bells, let the clerks assemble, and all the tapers in the church be lighted. Then two persons shall draw nigh to the sepulchre, and after it is censed let them take the cross out of the sepulchre, and one of them begin Christus resurgens. Then let the procession commence. After this they shall all worship (adorent) the cross. Then let all the crucifixes and images in the church be unveiled, &c. &c. In like manner Good Friday also had its peculiar ceremonies. Bishop Longland closes his sermon preached on that day before King Henry VIII. A. D. 1538, in the following manner: “In meane season I shall exhorte you all in our Lord God, as of old custome hath here this day bene used, every one of you or ye departe, with moost entire devocyon, knelynge tofore our Savyour Lorde God, this our Jesus Chryst, whiche hath suffered soo muche for us, to whome we are soo muche bounden, whoo lyeth in yonder sepulchre; in honoure of hym, of his passyon and deathe, and of his five woundes, to say five Pater-nosters, five Aves, and one Crede: that it may please his mercifull goodness to make us parteners of the merites of this his most gloryous passyon, bloode, and deathe.” Imprynted by Thomas Petyt. See also Michael Wood’s Dialogue or Familiar Talks. A. D. 1554. Signat. D. 3. W.
[177] See above, page [158], Dr. Wordsworth’s [note].
[178] In Mr. Ellis’s very interesting collection of Historical Letters, vol. i. p. 176, there is an extract of a letter from Sir William Fitzwilliams, then on a mission in France, relating a conversation he had with the French king upon his hearing the Duke of Buckingham was in the Tower. With the Cardinal’s answer.
[179] The favourable representation given of this portion of the cardinal’s life, notwithstanding what is said by Fox, p. 908, is fully confirmed by an authority which cannot be suspected of partiality to his memory, that of a State Book, which came out from the office of the king’s printer in the year 1536, intituled A Remedy for Sedition. “Who was lesse beloved in the Northe than my lord cardynall, God have his sowle, before he was amonges them? Who better beloved, after he had ben there a whyle? We hate oft times whom we have good cause to love. It is a wonder to see howe they were turned; howe of utter enemyes they becam his dere frendes. He gave byshops a ryght good ensample, howe they might wyn mens hartys. There was few holy dayes, but he would ride five or six myle from his howse, nowe to this parysh churche, nowe to that, and there cause one or other of his doctours to make a sermone unto the people. He sat amonges them, and sayd masse before all the paryshe. He sawe why churches were made. He began to restore them to their ryght and propre use. He broughte his dinner with hym, and bad dyvers of the parish to it. He enquired, whether there was any debate or grudge betweene any of them; yf there were, after dinner he sente for the parties to the churche, and made them all one. Men say well that do well. Godde’s lawes shal never be so set by as they ought, before they be well knowen.” Signat. E. 2. W.
[180] In the more recent MS. and in Dr. Wordsworth’s edition, “Newsted Abbey.”
[181] Next, i.e. nearest.
[182] The prevailing hour of dinner with our ancestors appears to have been much earlier. In the Northumberland Household Book it is said, “to X of the clock that my lord goes to dinner.”