lord Quiney, and died at London, Dec. 6, 1245, 30 Hen. III., (or as others report, Nov. 24), and was buried at Tinterne, leaving no issue.

Earl Anselm, the youngest, was, at the death of his brother Walter, dean of Salisbury, but admitted to be earl of Pembroke and marshal; and in haste married Maud the daughter of Humphrey de Bohun, earl of Hereford, that he yet at last might propagate the most noble family. But non est consilium contra Dominum; for he died within eighteen or twentyfour days after his brother, before he was actually possessed of his county.

Thus, according to the malediction of the bishop, the name of those great earls marshal was utterly extinct; all the five brethren being married and dying childless within fifteen years.

SECTION IV.

KING Edward I., in the zeal of his religion, (his father yet living), took the Cross upon him and went to assist the Christians in the wars of Jerusalem. The pope, in recompense of his charges, granted unto him in the second year of his reign, (he being returned) the tenth part of all ecclesiastical benefices of the kingdom for one year, and the like to his brother Edmond for another. But afterwards the king, forgetting his old devotion, in the eleventh year of his reign seized all the treasure of the tenths 8 MATT. PAR. A. D. 1219 et 1245.

1

collected for that purpose and laid up in divers places of the kingdom, and breaking open the locks caused it to be brought unto him, and employed it to his own use."

This taste of things separate to God, drew him on to a further appetite. In the twenty-third year of his reign he took into his hands all the priories' aliens throughout the kingdom; committing them (as Charles Martel of old had done in France) to officers under him; and allowing every monk eighteenpence a week, retained the rest for the charge of his war, as he did also the pensions going out of those houses to the greater monasteries beyond the seas. Yet obtained he further, in the same parliament, of the clergy and religious persons a subsidy of half their goods, to the value of 100,000l., whereof the abbey of Bury paid 6551. Os. 11d.

2

King Edward I. being in great want, by his subduing Scotland, about the end of the twenty-third year of his reign, caused all the monasteries of England to be searched, and the money found in them to be brought to London. Shortly after, in the twenty-fourth year of his reign, at a parliament at S. Edmundsbury, he required a subsidy, which the laity granted. But the clergy (pretending that pope Boniface at the same time had forbidden, upon pain of excommunication," that either secular princes STOW, [A. D. 1283.]

1 There were at that time about one hundred and ten.

2 STOW, [A. D. 1295.]

[In the famous bull Clericis laicos.-EDD.]

should impose tallages upon the churchmen, or that churchmen should pay any), they refused to supply the king's necessity; and having day to advise better on the matter till the next parliament at London shortly after, they persisted in the same mind. Whereupon the king put them out of his protection; so that being robbed and spoiled by lewd persons without remedy, to redeem the king's favour, the archbishop of York and many of the bishops laid down a fifth part of all their goods in their churches; and some by other courses satisfied the king's desire, and so recovered his protection. But all the monasteries within the province of Canterbury were seized into the king's hands, and wardens appointed in them to minister to the monks and religious persons therein only what must be had of necessity; taking all other moneys and surplusage to the king's use. So that the abbats and priors were glad to follow the court, and to repair their error with the fourth part of their goods. The archbishop of Canterbury after all this, fearing the pope's excommunication, continued in his refusal, lost all he had, was forsaken of his servants, forbidden to be received either in any monastery or without, and rested in the house of a poor man, only with one priest and one clerk. How these courses were censured in foro cœli is not in me to judge, nor will I pry into the ark of God's secrets. But see what followeth in the story.

King Edward having with great triumph subdued Scotland, and taken the king prisoner, did at this

present peaceably enjoy that kingdom, and governed it by his own officers. But ere three months came to an end, William Wallace began such a rebellion there as put all in hazard; and in fine it was so revived by Robert le Bruce, the king's natural subject, that at length he overthrew the king's armies, slew and beat out his officers, and without all recovery gained the kingdom to himself and his posterity. King Edward attempting the recovery, died at the entrance of Scotland. His son Edward II., pursuing his father's intent with one of the greatest armies that ever was raised by the English, was miserably beaten and put to flight, hardly escaping in his own person.

All his life after full of tumult; not only his nobles but his very wife, his enemy; abandoned of his subjects, turned out of his kingdom, imprisoned, and traitorously murdered. In all which, the curse which his father upon his death-bed laid upon him, if he should break the precepts he gave him, had no doubt a co-operation; for he observed none of them.

Touching the pulling of lands from the church, all have not always been of one mind. For though the makers of the statute of mortmain did truly think that the clergy had so disproportionable a share by way of excess in the lands of the kingdom; yet when in 17 Edward II. it came to the point that the order of the Templars for their wickedness was overthrown, the parliament then (wherein many of those, no doubt, that made the statute of mortmain

were present) would not give the lands and possessions of the Templars to the king or the lords of whom they were holden, but ordained that they should go to the order of the hospital of S. John of Jerusalem, then lately' erected for the defence of Christendom and the Christian religion.

A.D. 1315. Edward le Bruce, brother to Robert le Bruce king of Scots, invadeth the north parts of Ireland with six thousand men ; and accompanied with many great persons of the nobility, conquered the earldom of Ulster, gave the English many overthrows, and prevailed so victoriously, that he caused himself to be crowned king of Ireland. His soldiers, in the mean time, burn churches and abbeys with the people whom they found in the same, sparing neither man, woman, nor child: and most wickedly entering into other churches, spoiled and defaced the same of all such tombs, monuments, plate, copes, and other ornaments, as they found there. He thus prevailing, and the Irish much revolting to him, the archbishop of Armagh blesseth and encourageth the English army against him. Whereupon they joined battle, overthrew the whole power of the Scots, slew two thousand of their men, and amongst them, this their king Edward le Bruce himself.

SECTION V.

KING Edward III., to begin his wars with France,

[This is, of course, a palpable inaccuracy.-EDD.]