Polydor.
There be that write how that there were other occasions of the archbishops departure out of the relme of the which this should be one; when he saw religion not to be regarded, and that préests were had in no honor, neither that it laie in his power to reforme the matter, sith the king gaue no eare to his admonitions, he determined to absent himselfe till the king (warned by some mishap) should repent him of his errours, and amend his misdooings. Other ioine an other cause herevnto, which was this; whereas the king by the insample of other kings (begun by William Rufus) vsed to kéepe bishops sées, and other such spirituall possessions in his hands, during the vacation, till a conuenient person were to the same preferred, the archbishop Edmund, for that he saw long delaies made oftentimes yer any could be admitted to the roome of those that were deceassed, or by any other means depriued, he was in hand with the king, that the archbishop of Canturburie might haue power onlie to prouide for successors in such roomes as chanced to be vacant, aboue the tearme of six moneths, which thing the king for a certeine summe of monie granted: but afterward perceiuing what hinderance he susteined thereby, he reuoked that grant, so much to the displeasure of the archbishop, that he thought good no longer to continue in the realme.
The death of Edmund archbishop of Canturburie surnamed of Pontney.
At his comming to Pontney, he so séemed to despise all worldlie pompe and honor, giuing himselfe wholie to diuine contemplation, to fasting and praier, that the former opinion, which men had conceiued of his vertues, was maruellouslie confirmed. At length being sore vexed with sicknesse, supposing that he might recouer helth by changing of aire and place, he caused himselfe to be conueied into an other house of religion, named Soisie, two daies iournie from Pontney, where finallie he died the sixtéenth of Nouember, and his bodie was brought againe to Pontney, and there buried, where also through sundrie miracles shewed (as they say) at his graue, he was reputed a saint, and at length canonized by pope Innocent the fourth. He was borne at Abingdon, beside Oxenford, and thereby some named him saint Edmund of Abingdon, and some of S. Edmund of Pontney, after the place where he was inshrined. The sée of Canturburie was void more than thrée yeares after his decease, till at length by the kings commandement, the moonks of Canturburie elected one Boniface of Sauoie vncle to quéene Elianor, being the 45 archbishop which ruled that church.
A Charterhouse moonke apprehended.
¶ There was this yeare a certeine person of honest conuersation, and sober, representing in habit one of the Carthusian moonks, taken at Cambridge, being accused for that he refused to come to the church to heare diuine seruice, and vpon his examination, bicause he answered otherwise than was thought conuenient, he was committed to secret prison, and shortlie after sent vp to the legat to be of him examined. This man openlie protested, that Gregorie was not the true pope, nor head of the church, but that there was another head of the church, and that the church was defiled, so that no seruice ought to be said therein, except the same were newlie dedicated, and the vessels and vestments againe hallowed and consecrated; The diuell (said he) is losed, & the pope is an heretike, for Gregorie, which nameth himselfe pope, hath polluted the church.
Herevpon (in the presence and audience of the abbat of Euesham, maister Nic. de Fernham, and diuerse other worshipfull personages) the legat said vnto him being thus out of the waie; "Is not power granted to our souereigne lord the pope from aboue, both to lose and bind soules, sith he executeth the roome of S. Peter vpon earth:" Now when all men looked to heare what answer he would make, beléeuing his iudgement to depend vpon the same, he said by waie of interrogation, and not by way of assertion; "How can I beléeue, that vnto a person spotted with simonie and vsurie, and happlie wrapt in more gréeuous sins, such power should be granted as was granted vnto holie Peter, who immediatlie followed the lord, as soone as he was made his apostle, and followed him not onelie in bodilie footsteps, but in cléerenesse of vertues." At which word the legat blushed, & said to some of the standers by; "A man ought not to chide with a foole, nor gape ouer an ouen."
Iustices itinerants. William de Yorke, Robert Lexinton iustices.
The earle of Cornewall goeth into the holy land.