other monk were deputed to wait on Waynflete at Eton college with the news of his election. From sincere reluctance, or a decent compliance with the fashion of the times, he protested often and with tears, and could not be prevailed on to undertake the important office to which he was called, until they found him, about sunset, in the church of St. Mary; when he consented, saying, he would no longer resist the divine will.

The king was formally apprized of all these proceedings by an instrument under the common seal of the convent dated the 17th, and the sub-prior attended as before, with an humble request that he would vouchsafe to confirm their election. The chapter sent likewise to Rome a narrative of the steps they had taken after the delivery of the body of the deceased cardinal, as was fitting, to ecclesiastical sepulture; and the prior declares, in his own name and that of the whole convent, that, their unanimous suffrages having fallen on Waynflete, he elects and provides him to be bishop and pastor of their church. They request his

* Ledger Book I. fol. 74.

holiness

holiness to confirm their choice, and impart to their new bishop his free gift of conse cration1.

The disposal of all ecclesiastical preferments in England, even of rectories and vicarages, had been claimed by the Roman pontiffs. They had relinquished the privilege in a treaty which was not observed, and in which mention of the bishoprics was omitted m. It had been their custom to nominate before the vacancy, and to fill the sees by provision". Several acts of parliament were passed, forbidding any person to receive the benefit of a dignity so conferred. The pope however had continued his pretensions; and the bulle of consecration, without which that ceremony could not be performed, was always preceded by one of

1 See Appendix, No V.

Budden, p. 61, 62, 63, 64, 65.

The convent consisted of a prior and forty-two monks. Lowth A. D. 1447. 66 Expens. fact. circa M Willm Wanflett electu "Wynton. M- Will m Say, Danyell, tres alios armigeros de fa"milia Dai Regis Vice-custodem Oxon" Radulph Lye Blacman "Precentor de Cicestr Boston Precentor de Coll. Regali Can"tabrigie Digleys Crosby et alios generosos ac familiares venientes "ad Collegium mense Maii ad diversas refectiones xxxi3. ijd."

m Gilpin. Wickliff. p. 19. "See Lowth, sect. ii.

Computus Coll. Wynton.

provision.

provision. When Wykeham was made bishop,
both bulles were issued on the same day.
In his room the convent of St. Swythin
elected their prior; but Innocent the Third
declared that his predecessor had reserved
the provision of the church for that turn, and
therefore he appointed Beaufort to it. At
this time the pope was Nicholas the Fifth in
his first year, afterwards famous as an en-
courager of learning, and a lover of Homer
(whose poems he caused to be translated
into Latin verse P) and of the Muses. He
was under obligations to Henry for his me-
diation between him and Amadeus
duke of Savoy, who retired to a monastery
on the lake of Geneva, and became one of the
popes or antipopes, by the name of Felix the
Fifth, during the schism which had so long
afflicted the catholic church. Nicholas was
willing to gratify the king, and did not defer
his compliance with the request of the con-
vent. A bulle dated so early as the 10th of
May

• "Pro apostolicæ sedis providentia." Ledger Book I.
▸ Budden, p. 59.

• Budden, p. 65. He cites Fabian.

the

"Nos decernentes per prefate sedis providentiam utilem et

" idoneam presidere personam provisione" sexto id. Maii etc.

Budden. p. 66. Ex Archiv.
D. Red-

May declared that he had provided Waynflete, and set him over the church of Winchester. On the 4th of June precepts were issued, signifying that the Pope had made this notification; that the bishop elect had renounced all and every the words in his bulle derogatory to the king and his crown; and that the king, having accepted his homage for the temporalties of his see, ordered them to be released. On the 16th Waynflete made profession of obedience to the archbishop of Canterbury at Lambeth. He was consecrated at Eton on the 13th of July. The college at Winchester presented him on the occasion with a horse, which cost six pounds thirteen shillings and four pence; and gave money (thirteen shillings and four pence) to the boys at Eton. The warden, with other members, attended the solemnity; and the expenses of their journey thither, and to London, on horseback, amounted to thirteen shillings

D. Redmanni Registr. Cant.

Provisus 10 Maii. H. Wharton, vol. i. p. 318.
6 Maii Registr. Stafford. f. 27.

Rymer, t. xi. p. 172. Budden, p. 66.

4 Jun.

Rex restituit temp. Willo W. proviso in Ep. Wint.

MS. Harl. N° 6962.

and

and five pencet. On the 18th Waynflete received the spiritualties"; and he held his first general ordination on Sunday the 23d of December following at Eton, by special license from the bishop of Lincoln.

It has been asserted, that during the whole primacy of Stafford the Pope appointed bishops in England by provision ; and, among others, Waynflete, a prelate remarkable for piety and learning. Budden, though he allows that the bishop did not perhaps entirely abstain from availing himself of the power of illustrious persons, and the custom of the age, dissents from the opinion that he was raised to the episcopal throne by papal provision; and the reader who considers the foregoing detail will probably pronounce that he was not, in the larger sense of the word; but will regard him as indebted for his high dignity, to his own character, the suffrages of the chapter of St. Swythin, and the influence of the king.

u

The bishop, soon after he was confirmed

Registr. Waynflete. Computus Coll. Wynton.

" Registr. Stafford. H. Wharton. Godwin. Budden, p. 66.

* Budden, p. 60. From M. Parker in V. Stafford. See p. 64, 66. Mat. Parker, p. 432.