The three patron saints, Thomas of Hereford, Wulstan of Worcester, and Swithun of Winton, are here put to denote the Churches themselves.

King Edward III. who intended the See for Simon Montague, (Cont. Hist. Wigorn.) in vain opposed the appointment of Orlton, representing to the Papal Court the enormities of which he had been guilty. The Bishop however eluded the charges brought against him by an ingenious and well-penned apology. (Twysd. ap. 10 Scrip.) In short, he carried his point at Rome, though Edward refused to admit him to the possession of his temporalties till the next year, when he granted this favour at the request of the other Prelates, in a parliament held at London. (Godwin, p. 225, and Whart. Ang. Sac. I. 317.) He now took possession of his See in triumph; some time after which, making a visit to the Prior of the Cathedral, Alexander, he was entertained by him in the great hall of the priory, with the performances of Herbert, a celebrated minstrel of these times, who sung to him the popular songs of Winchester, how Guy, Earl of Warwick, overthrew and killed Colbrand, the Danish Champion, under the walls of this city; and how Queen Emma walked unhurt over the glowing plough-shares in this cathedral. (MSS. Wolvesey. ap. Tho. Warton's Hist. Eng. Poetry, vol. I. p. 89.) This prelate losing his eye-sight some years before his death, (Cont. Hist. Wint.) was thereby incapacitated from mingling any more in the busy scenes of life, and died at Farnham, July 18, 1345. (Ang. Sac.) He was buried in a chapel which he seems to have prepared for himself in the cathedral. (See Richardson, Notes, p. 225.)

XVII. WILLIAM DE EDYNGDON.

SUCCEEDED A. D. 1345.-DIED A. D. 1366.

This Prelate was a native of Eddington, Wilts, and had been Prebendary of Leighton-Manor, in the Cathedral of Lincolu.-Willis Cath. II. 208.

Upon the decease of Adam de Orlton, the Monks chose one of their own community, John de Devenishe (Thorne. Chron, de Abbat. Cant.) who seems to have been son of the worthy and charitable magistrate of the city of Winton,

the founder of St. John's house. The King, however, designed the See of Winton for an ecclesiastic of great talents and merit, whom he had lately constituted his treasurer, (1345, April 10, Pat. 18 E. III. m. 22.) viz. William de Edyngdon, who was accordingly consecrated, and John de Devenishe was, by way of compromise, constituted Abbot of Canterbury.-(Wharton. Ang. Sac.)

In addition to the dignity of this See, our Bishop being in such high favour, we are not surprized that he should have been appointed by the King, Prelate or Chancellor of the newly-instituted order of the Garter, in 1350; an honour which was to descend and has ever since been held by his successors the Bishops of Winchester. In 1957, he also had the Great Seal delivered to him, (Feb. 19, Claus. 30 Edw. III. in dors. m. 4.) In this difficult post he conducted himself with great approbation, (Contin. Hist. Maj. Wint. Ang. Suc.) and is only reproached with having coined certain kinds of money, viz. groats and half groats, of less weight than they had hitherto been, by which means the price of labour and the commodities of life rose beyond their former nominal value, and could never afterwards be brought back to it.-Contin. Polych. Walsingh. Ypodyg. p. 122.

On the death of Archbishop Islip, he was elected May 10, 1366, to the See of Canterbury. This however he positively refused to accept, though authors are divided, as to the motives of his refusal, One ascribes it to his humility, (Harpsfield. Hist. Eccl. Sac. XIV. C. XIX.) another to his advanced age, (Hen. Wharton. Cont. Hist. Wint.) whilst a third attributes it to a motive of avarice, putting into his mouth the following expression :"Though Canterbury is the higher rack, yet Winchester is the richer manger." (Godwin.) But how little he was then under the influence of avarice, appears from his works of piety and charity, and from his distributing almost all his remaining unappropriated money amongst the poor, during his life time. (Chronic, Anonym. Cont. Hist. Win.) He was the founder of a college of secular clergy, at his native place of Edington (Ex literis fundat. ap. Harpsfield) which at the request of the Black Prince, who was an admirer of a certain order of hermits, called Bon-Hommes, he changed into a Convent of that order. (Monasticon. Stevens sub. fin.) Of this, Leland records, “Gul. Edington Epus Wint. fundavit primò hanc domum

pro Canon: regul: et postea ex concensu regio transtulit in religiosos hujus ordinis."Collect, 1. 66

He died October 8, 1366, and was buried in his Cathedral, (Rudborne,) where his chantry, tomb, and epitaph are still to be seen. The Historian of Winton thus describes the chantry: Within the 10th arch from the west end, adjoining to the steps leading towards the choir is an ancient chantry, by no means to be compared with that of Wykeham, but in the same style of architecture. This contains the monument and the figure of William of Edington. The following epitaph in [wretched] Leonine verse may still be discovered.

*

Edyndon natus Wilhelmus hic est tumulatus
Præsul prægratus in Wintonia cathedratus
Qui pertransitis ejus memorare velitis.

Providus et mitis ausit cum mille peritis.
Pervigil Anglorum fuit adjutor populorum
Dulcis egenorum pater et protector eorum

M. C. tribus junctum post, L. X.V. sit I junctum
Octava sanctum totat hunc Octobris inunctum

"William, born at Edington, is here interred;

He was a well-beloved Prelate; and Winchester was his See.
You, who pass by his tomb, remember him in your prayers;

[sagacity.

He was discreet, and mild, yet a match for thousands in knowledge and

He was a watchful guardian of the English nation;

A tender father of the poor, and the defender of their rights.
To one thousand add three hundred and fifty, ten, five, and one,-
Then the eighth of October will mark the time when he became a saint."

Wharton quotes an anonymous chronicle which he terms insigne,' as stating that he was buried "apud Edyngton in loco quem ipse fundaverat.-(Ang. Sac. 1. 317). But this must be erroneous, as the Epitaph above recorded, says, "hic est tumulatus;" words of course that could have no place on a Cenotaph.

The same author has the following remarks respecting the Bishop's will:-"Eodem anno (1366) die 11th. Testamento condito præcepit, ut de bonis suis expenderetur ad perfectionem navis* Ecclesia Cathedralis Wint.

There is a singular propriety and much beauty in this word navis, as applied to the church; which is, in truth, the ship,-the ark of salvation in which we sail over the turbulent waves of the world to the haven of peace. The origin of the word aisles, is evidently from ale wings, being buildings appended, like wings, to the body, or nave of the Church.

a se inchoatæ, et ad subsidium domûs sive Cantuariæ de Edyngdon a se fundatæ. Reliqua domibus religiosis quamplurimis et famulis suis legavit. Astipulatur enim Chronicon Anonymum insigne, additque ipsum omnem fere thesaurum suum seipso vivente pauperibus erogasse.' A few more brief notices may be found of this Prelate in Leland. Collect, vol. IV.

Benefactions.-The Bishop thus occurs in Tanner, under Wilts xiv. "Bonhommes. The Church and manor here were anciently a prebend of the Abbey of Rumsey, in Hants, said to be worth 100 marks p. annum or more. William de Edindon, Bishop of Winton, built a new church at this his native place, and therein founded to the honor of the blessed virgin St. Katherine, and All Saints, a large chantry or college of a dean, and 12 ministers, whereof part were prebendaries, about the year 1347. These were afterward, at the desire of the Black Prince, changed into a reformed sort of Friers of the order of St. Austin, called Bonhommes, who were settled here under the government of a Rector A.D. 1358. Its yearly revenues at the suppression, amounted to £442. 9s. 7d. Dudg. The site was granted to Sir Thomas Seymour, 33 Henry VIII., and to William Pawlet and Lord St. John, 3 Edward VI." Clopton, a tithing in the parish of MichJeton, county of Gloucester, belonged to this priory of Bonhommes.--Atkins's Glo. 556.

He also founded a Chantry in the Chapel of Farnham Castle, (temp. Edward III.) for which he had various patents from the King, authorizing him to grant for its maintenance a tenement at Lestnes in Southwark, a rent of 8 marks out of the manor there, and a messuage, 3 acres of land, and a rent of 8 marks out of the manor of Farnham. And accordingly he granted to John Castrie, his Chaplain, and his successors performing divine service in the Chapel of his Castle of Farnham, 1 messuage, and 3 acres of land in Farnham, and 8 marks out of the manor.-Manning and Bray. Hist. Surry. 3, 137.

Nor must we forget the words of his will above quoted, "ad perfectionem navis ecclesiæ," &c. For these afford evidence that he actually begun that great work, the whole credit of which is ascribed to his successor.

Rudborne adds, "Hic multa ornamenta et jocalia (jewels) suæ ecclesiæ contulit."-Hist. Maj. Wint.

XVIII. WILLIAM WYKEHAM.

SUCCEEDED A, D, 1366-7.-DIED A. D. 1404.

THE LIFE OF

WILLIAM OF WYKEHAM,

BISHOP OF WINCHESTER.

Collected from Records, Registers, Manuscripts, and other Authentic Evidences by ROBERT LOWTH, D.D. Prebendary of Durham, and Chaplain in Ordinary to His Majesty.

Quique sui memores alios fecere merendo.—VIRG.

London: Printed for A. Millar, in the Strand; & R. & J. Dodsley, Pall-Mall.

MDCCLVIII.

SECTION I.

From the Birth of Wykeham to his being made Bishop of Winchester.

THAT natural curiosity, which leads us to inquire into the particular circumstances of the lives of such as have in any way made themselves greatly eminent, cannot be more properly or laudably employed, than in reviving the memory of those illustrious persons, who have more especially distinguished themselves by their beneficence and public spirit; by their endeavours to do good to their own age, and to posterity; to their country, and to mankind. In this case at least, it is not merely the effect of an idly inquisitive disposition, nor does it propose to itself only an empty amusement: it partakes in some measure, of the same generous principle which engages its attention; perhaps it arises from a mind possessed with a sense of benefits received, and is no improper exertion of that love, respect, and gratitude, which is due to the author of them. The subject of the following pages, may, I presume, in this respect, merit the attention of such as have a due regard for the memory of a man, who, besides his high station and great abilities in public affairs, was an eminent example of generosity and munificence; and much more of those,