His conditiō.
He was of bodie well cast and strong, of a good stature in heigth, well fauoured of face, with the lid of one of his eies comming downe, so as it almost couered the apple of the same eie. Of nature he was courteous, and of stomach rather noble than stout; a deuout prince and liberall towards the poore and néedie. Yet he wanted not dispraise in some points, namelie for that in ordering of things and weightie affaires, he vsed small consideration. He was also noted to be a great taker of monie by loanes, taxes, and subsidies: but therevnto he was inforced by necessitie, to beare the charges of warre and other publike affaires, than of any couetous mind or purpose to serue his owne turne. ¶ What capteins of honour among the nobilitie liued in his time, it may appeare by the course of the historie of his age.
Of sundrie learned men these we find mentioned in maister Bales centuries and others. Walter of Couentrie an historiographer: Radulphus Niger that wrote both histories and other treatises, Geruasius de Melkelie, Albricius of London, Robert Curson a man excellentlie learned both in diuine and humaine letters, so that comming to the court of Rome he there grew in such estimation, that he became a cardinall, of whom we find this recorded by Matthew Westminster and Matthew Paris. [At the taking of Damiate, a citie in Aegypt, there was with Pelagius, the cardinall of Alba, the popes legat, master Robert Curson an Englishman a most famous clerke, borne of a noble house, and cardinall of the church of Rome.] These are reported to florish in the daies both of king Iohn and king Henrie his sonne.
In the said kings time also there liued other learned men, as these; Hugh Kirkestéed, Richard of Elie, Peter Henham, Iohn Giles or de Sancto Egidio an excellent physician, Caducan a Welshman borne and bishop of Bangor, Alexander a singular learned man that wrote diuerse and manie treatises as well in diuinitie as philosophie and humanitie, both in verse and prose; also Stephan Langton, that for his singular knowledge was made high chancellor of the vniuersitie of Paris, and at length was admitted archbishop of Canturburie, against the will of king Iohn, in which quarell so great trouble insued, as before yée haue partlie heard; Rafe Coggeshall also liued in king Henries daies, that wrote the appendix vnto the chronicle of Ralfe Niger, he was abbat of Coggeshall abbeie in Essex, whereof he tooke his surname: William Lanthonie, Peter of S. Sauior, a canon of the house called S. Sauior, or of the trinitie by London; Alexander Hailes a frier of the order of the minors, who wrote manie treatises in diuinitie; Richard surnamed Medicus a most learned physician, and no lesse expert in philosophie and the mathematicals. There be also remembred by maister Bale, Randulfe the earle of Chester, the third and last of that name, who hauing great knowledge and vnderstanding in the lawes of this land, compiled a booke of the same lawes, as a witnesse of his great skill therein: Alexander Wendocke bishop of Chester, Iohn Blund, Edmund Rich, Robert Rich, Henrie Bracton, that excellent lawier, who wrote the booke commonlie called Bracton after his name, intituled De consuetudinibus Angiicanis; Richard surnamed Theologus, Walter de Euesham, Ralfe Fresborne, Laurence Somercote, brother as it is thought to Robert Somercote, at that time a cardinall of the Romane church; Nicholas Fernham a physician, Robert Bacon a notable diuine, Simon Langton, brother to the archbishop of Canturburie Stephan Langton; Richard Fisaker, Simon Stokes, Iohn of Kent or Kantianus, William Shirwood, Michaell Blaunpaine, Iohn Godard, Vincent of Couentrie, Alberike Véer, Richard Wich, Iohn Basing aliàs de Basingstoke, Roger Waltham, William Seningham, Robert Crosted that learned bishop of Lincolne, whose memorie amongst the learned will remaine while the world lasteth.
Thus farre Henrie the third.
Transcriber's Notes:
Simple spelling, grammar, and typographical errors were corrected.
Punctuation normalized.
Anachronistic and non-standard spellings retained as printed except as noted below.
The author's usage of accents was inconsistent. Specifically accented "ée" is far more prevalent than "ee" even for the same word. Changed all instances of "ee" to "ée"