(but I dare not say by him), preferred bishop of Bangor, 1197. Afterwards the king, waging war with Leoline prince of Wales, took this bishop prisoner in his own cathedral church, and enjoined him to pay three hundred hawks for his ransom. Say not that it was improper that a man of peace should be ransomed with birds of prey, seeing the bishop had learnt the rule, "Redime te captum quam queas minimo." Besides, 300 hawks will not seem so inconsiderable a matter to him that hath read how in the reign of king Charles an English nobleman (taken prisoner at the Isle Ree †) was ransomed for a brace of grey hounds. Such who admire where the bishop on a sudden should furnish himself with a stock of such fowl, will abate of their wonder, when they remember that about this time the men of Norway, (whence we have the best hawks), under Magnus their general, had possessed themselves of the neighbouring Island of Anglesea. Besides, he might stock himself out of the eyres of Pembrokeshire, where perigrines § did plentifully breed. However, this bishop appeareth something humorous by one passage in his will, wherein he gave order that his body should be buried in the middle of the market-place || of Shrewsbury. Impute it not to his profaneness and contempt of consecrated ground; but either to his humility, accounting himself unworthy thereof; or to his prudential foresight, that the fury of soldiers. (during the intestine war betwixt the English and Welsh) would fall fiercest on churches, as the fairest market; and men, preferring their profit before their piety, would preserve their market places, though their churches were destroyed. He died anno 1215. ROBERT BURNEL was son to Robert, and brother to Hugh lord Burnel, whose prime seat was at Acton-Burnel castle in this county. He was, by king Edward the First, preferred bishop of Bath and Wells; and first treasurer, then chancellor, of England. He was well versed in the Welsh affairs, and much used in managing them; and, that he might the more effectually attend such employment, caused the court of chancery to be kept at Bristol. He got great wealth, wherewith he enriched his kindred, and is supposed to have rebuilt the decayed castle of Acton-Burnel on his own expence. And, to decline envy for his secular structures left to his heirs, he built for his successors the beautiful hall at Wells, the biggest room of any bishop's palace in England, plucked down by Sir John Gabos (afterwards executed for treason) in the reign of king Edward the Sixth. Bp. Godwin, in his Bishops of Bangor. † H. L'Estrange, in the History of king Charles. Camden's Britannia, in Anglesea. Bishop Godwin, in Bishops of Bangor. § Idem, in Pembrokeshire. Camden's Britannia, in Salop. English and Welsh affairs being settled to the king's contentment, he employed bishop Burnell in some business about Scotland, in the Marshes, whereof he died anno Domini 1292; and his body, solemnly brought many miles, was buried in his own cathedral. WALTER de WENLOCK, abbot of Westminster, was, no doubt, so named from his nativity in a market-town in this county. I admire much that Matthew of Westminster writeth him William de Wenlock, and that a monk of Westminster should (though not miscall) mis-name the abbot thereof. He was treasurer of England to king Edward the first, betwixt the twelfth and fourteenth year of his reign; and enjoyed his abbot's office six and twenty years, lacking six days.* He died on Christmas day, at his manor of Periford in Gloucestershire, 1307; and was buried at his church in Westminster, beside the high-altar before the Presbytery, without the south door of king Edward's shrine, where "Abbas Walterus non fuit Austerus " is part of his epitaph. RALPH of SHREWSBURY, born therein, was, in the third of king Edward the Third, preferred bishop of Bath and Wells. Being consecrated without the Pope's privity (a daring adventure in those days) he paid a large sum to expiate his presumption therein. He was a good benefactor to his cathedral, and bestowed on them a chest, portcullis-like, barred with iron, able to hold out a siege in the view of such as beheld it. But, what is of proof against sacrilege? Some thieves (with what engines unknown) in the reign of queen Elizabeth forced it open.† But this bishop is most memorable for erecting and endowing a spacious structure for the vicars-choral of his cathedral to inhabit together, which in an old picture is thus presented: THE VICARS' HUMBLE PETITION ON THEIR KNEES. Per vicos positi villæ, pater alme, rogamus THE GRACIOUS ANSWER OF THE BISHOP, SITTING. Having now made such a palace (as I may term it) for his vicars, he was (in observation of a proportionable distance) necessitated in some sort to enlarge the bishop's seat, which he beautified Register of Westminster Abbey. † Godwin, in the Bishops of Bath and Wells. and fortified castle-wise, with great expence. He much ingratiated himself with the country people by disforesting Mendip; beef better pleasing the husbandman's palate than venison. He sat bishop thirty-four years; and, dying August 14, 1363, lieth buried in his cathedral, where his statue is done to the life; "Vivos viventes vultus vividissimè exprimens," saith my author.* ROBERT MASCAL was bred (saith Bale in) and born (saith Pitst positively) at Ludlow in this county, where he became a Carmelite. Afterwards he studied in Oxford, and became so famous for his learning and piety, that he was made confessor to Henry the Fourth, and counsellor to Henry the Fifth; promoted by the former, bishop of Hereford. He was one of the three English prelates which went to (and one of the two which returned alive from) the council of Constance. He died 1416, being buried in the church of White-Friars in London, to which he had been an eminent benefactor. RICHARD TALBOTE was born of honourable parentage in this county, as brother unto John Talbote, the first earl of Shrewsbury. Being bred in learning, he was consecrated archbishop of Dublin in Ireland 1417. He sat two and thirty years in that see (being all that time a privy counsellor to king Henry the Fifth and Sixth), twice chief justice, and once chancellor of Ireland. He deserved well of his church (founding six petty canons, and as many choristers, therein); yea, generally of all Ireland, writing a book against James earl of Ormond, wherein he detected his abuses during his lieutenancy in Ireland. He died August the 15th, 1449; and lieth buried in Saint Patrick's in Dublin under a marble stone, whereon an epitaph is written not worthy the inserting. The said Richard was unanimously chosen archbishop of Armagh, a higher place; but refused to remove, wisely preferring safety, above either honour or profit. GEORGE DAY was born in this county, ¶ and successively scholar, fellow, and provost of King's College in Cambridge; which he retained with the bishopric of Chichester, to which he was consecrated 1543. A most pertinacious Papist, who, though he had made some kind of recantation in a sermon (as I find it entered in king Edward the Sixth's own diary); yet either the same was not satisfactory, or else he relapsed into his * Godwin, in the Bishops of Bath and Wells. + De Illustribus Angliæ Scriptoribus, p. 591. Godwin, in Bishops. § Jacobus Wareus, de Præsulibus Lageniæ, p. 28. Idem, de Scriptoribus Hiberniæ, p. 131. ¶ Parker, in his Skellitos Cantabrigiensis, in the Provosts of King's College. errors again, for which he was deprived under the said king, and restored again by queen Mary. He died anno Domini 1556. PRELATES SINCE THE REFORMATION. WILLIAM DAY was brother to the aforesaid George Day. I find no great difference betwixt their age; seeing George Day was admitted in King's College, anno 1538; William Day was admitted in the same college anno 1545.* Yet was there more than forty years' betwixt the dates of their deaths;-George Day died very young, bishop of Chichester, anno Domini 1556; William Day died very old, bishop of Winchester, anno 1596. But not so great was the difference betwixt their vivacity, as distance betwixt their opinions; the former being a rigid Papist, the latter a zealous Protestant; who, requesting of his brother some money to buy books therewith, and other necessaries, was returned with this denial, "That he thought it not fit to spend the goods of the church on him who was an enemy of the church."+ However, this William found the words of Solomon true, "And there is a friend who is nearer than a brother," not wanting those who supplied his necessities. He was proctor of Cambridge 1558, and afterwards was made by queen Elizabeth (who highly esteemed him for his learning and religion) provost of Eton and dean of Windsor, two fair preferments (parted with Thames, but) united in his person. The bishopric of Winchester he enjoyed scarcely a whole year; and died as aforesaid, 1596. STATESMEN. Sir THOMAS BROMLEY was born at Bromley in this county, of a right ancient family, I assure you; bred in the Inner Temple, and general solicitor to queen Elizabeth. He afterwards succeeded Sir Nicholas Bacon, in the dignity of lord chancellor, April 25, 1579. Now, although it was difficult to come after Sir Nicholas Bacon, and not to come after him; yet such was Sir Thomas's learning and integrity (being charactered by my author, "vir jurisprudentiâ insignis;"§ that court was not sensible of any considerable alteration. He possessed his place about nine years, dying anno 1587, not being sixty years old. Hereby the pregnancy of his parts doth appear, seeing by proportion of time he was made the queen's solicitor before he was forty, and lord chancellor before he was fifty years old. Learning in law * Mr. Hatcher, in his Manuscript Catalogue of Fellows of King's College. † Bishop Godwin, in his Catalogue of the Bishops of Winchester. Proverbs xviii. 24. Camden, in his Elizabeth, anno 1587. Idem, ibidem. may seem to run in the veins of that name, which since had a baron of the Exchequer of his alliance. Sir CLEMENT EDMONDS was born at Shrawardine in this county; and bred Fellow in All-Souls College in Oxford, being generally skilled in all arts and sciences; witness his faithful translations of, and learned illustrations on, Cæsar's Commentaries. Say not that comment on commentary was false heraldry, seeing it is so worthy a work, that the author thereof may pass for an eminent instance to what perfection of theory they may attain in matter of war, who were not acquainted with the practical part thereof, being only once employed by queen Elizabeth, with a dispatch to Sir Francis Vere, which occasioned his presence at the battle at Newport: for he doth so smartly discuss pro and con, and seriously decide many martial controversies, that his judgment therein is praised by the best military masters. King James, taking notice of his abilities, made him clerk of the Council, and knighted him; and he was at last preferred secretary of state, in the vacancy of that place, but, prevented by death, acted not therein. He died anno 1623; and lies buried at Preston in Northamptonshire, where he purchased a fair estate, which his grandchild doth possess at this day (1660). CAPITAL JUDGES, AND WRITERS ON THE LAW. EDMUND PLOWDEN was born at Plowden in this county; one who excellently deserved of our municipal law, in his learned writings thereon: but consult his ensuing epitaph, which will give a more perfect account of him : "Conditur in hoc tumulo corpus Edmundi Plowden, Armigeri. Claris ortus parentibus, apud Plowden in comitatu Salop, natus est; à pueritiâ in literarum studio liberaliter est educatus, in provectiore verò ætate legibus et jurisprudentiâ operam dedit. Senex jam factus, et annum ætatis suæ agens 67. mundo valedicens, in Christo Jesu sanctè obdormivit, die sexto mensis Februar. anno Domini 1584." I have rather inserted this epitaph inscribed on his monument on the north side of the east end of the choir of Temple church in London, because it hath escaped (but by what casualty I cannot conjecture) Master Stow, in his "Survey of London." must add a few words out of the character Mr. Camden gives of him:† "Vitæ integritate inter homines suæ professionis nulli secundus." And how excellent a medley is made, when honesty and ability meet in a man of his profession! Nor must we forget how he was treasurer for the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, anno 1572, when their magnificent hall was builded; he being a great advancer thereof. Sir JOHN WALTER, Son to Edmund Walter, chief justice of • So his near kinsman informed me -F. + His Elizabeth, anno 1584. |