Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Historical Account Of The Life Of William Of Wykeham.
ter of Clarence , had a right to the crown prior to that of Lancaster , joined the Prince of Wales against him , and they succeeded so far , that Alice Ferrers , the Duke of Lancaster , and Latimer , Lord Chamberlain , being accused by the parliament of man- high crimes a # d misdemcanoius , were banished from court . Before the parliament had finished the sessions in which this great event took place , the Prince of Wales diedand appointed Wkehamwho had been
al-, y , ways his firm friend , one of the executors of his will . As soon as the parliament was dismissed , the Duke of Lancaster , being no longer awed by the virtue and influence of his elder brother , returned to court , and resumed the administration of affairs ; and with him returned Alice Ferrers , and Lord Latimer ; they took ,-as it were , entire possession of the king , who lay at Elthani , oppressed
at once with age , sickness , and sorrow , and found themselves in a condition not only to stand their ground , but to grdtify their resentment against those who had opposed them . Among others who h . _ d incurred their displeasure , b ) ' zealously abetting the cause of the late Prince of Wales , was Wykeham . And "Lancasteras he thought it not adviseable to proceed against him
, without a shew of justice , procured articles of accusation to be brought against him , by certain persons , whose names are not transmitted to us , for criines ' committed by him during his administration of affairs : the only article , upon which judgment passed , was , that the bishop , when he was chancellor , had often caused fines , payable to the kingto be lessenedeven after they had . been paid and
en-, , rolled , paying back part of the money , and crazing the record on the roll ; particularly , that Lord Grey , having paid 8 ol . as a fine to the king , the bishop , upon pretence of some bargain between him and Grey , caused the first writing to he cancelled , and another made for a fine of 40 I . only , the other 40 I . being paid back to Grey , to the defrauding of the king .
Upon proof of this article , before a certain number of lords and bishops , and others of the privy council , assigned for that purpose by the king , the bishop ' s temporalities were seized by writ , and he was forbidden , in the king ' s name , to come within twenty miles of the
court . As to this article of the charge , supposing it to be true , the bishop is not accused of having made any profit of it to himself ; nor does it appear that what he did he was at all solicitous to conceal : all that is criminal in it seems to be the mere irregularity of the proceeding ; and of this his enemies took advantage . The bishop , however , us soon as he received the prohibition , left his palace at Southwark , and
retired to the monastry of Merton , where he waited for his second examination , which had been fixed for the 20 th of Jan . 1376-7 ; but , during his recess there , he received letters from the king , by which the second sitting of his judges was prorogued to an uncertain day . It seems probable , that , at this second sitting , the bishop was to have been examined concerning seven other articles ; some of which charged him with having embezzled , or dissipated , near a million of
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Historical Account Of The Life Of William Of Wykeham.
ter of Clarence , had a right to the crown prior to that of Lancaster , joined the Prince of Wales against him , and they succeeded so far , that Alice Ferrers , the Duke of Lancaster , and Latimer , Lord Chamberlain , being accused by the parliament of man- high crimes a # d misdemcanoius , were banished from court . Before the parliament had finished the sessions in which this great event took place , the Prince of Wales diedand appointed Wkehamwho had been
al-, y , ways his firm friend , one of the executors of his will . As soon as the parliament was dismissed , the Duke of Lancaster , being no longer awed by the virtue and influence of his elder brother , returned to court , and resumed the administration of affairs ; and with him returned Alice Ferrers , and Lord Latimer ; they took ,-as it were , entire possession of the king , who lay at Elthani , oppressed
at once with age , sickness , and sorrow , and found themselves in a condition not only to stand their ground , but to grdtify their resentment against those who had opposed them . Among others who h . _ d incurred their displeasure , b ) ' zealously abetting the cause of the late Prince of Wales , was Wykeham . And "Lancasteras he thought it not adviseable to proceed against him
, without a shew of justice , procured articles of accusation to be brought against him , by certain persons , whose names are not transmitted to us , for criines ' committed by him during his administration of affairs : the only article , upon which judgment passed , was , that the bishop , when he was chancellor , had often caused fines , payable to the kingto be lessenedeven after they had . been paid and
en-, , rolled , paying back part of the money , and crazing the record on the roll ; particularly , that Lord Grey , having paid 8 ol . as a fine to the king , the bishop , upon pretence of some bargain between him and Grey , caused the first writing to he cancelled , and another made for a fine of 40 I . only , the other 40 I . being paid back to Grey , to the defrauding of the king .
Upon proof of this article , before a certain number of lords and bishops , and others of the privy council , assigned for that purpose by the king , the bishop ' s temporalities were seized by writ , and he was forbidden , in the king ' s name , to come within twenty miles of the
court . As to this article of the charge , supposing it to be true , the bishop is not accused of having made any profit of it to himself ; nor does it appear that what he did he was at all solicitous to conceal : all that is criminal in it seems to be the mere irregularity of the proceeding ; and of this his enemies took advantage . The bishop , however , us soon as he received the prohibition , left his palace at Southwark , and
retired to the monastry of Merton , where he waited for his second examination , which had been fixed for the 20 th of Jan . 1376-7 ; but , during his recess there , he received letters from the king , by which the second sitting of his judges was prorogued to an uncertain day . It seems probable , that , at this second sitting , the bishop was to have been examined concerning seven other articles ; some of which charged him with having embezzled , or dissipated , near a million of