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THE

LIFE

OF

DR. REYNOLD PECOCK,

BISHOP OF ST. ASAPH, &c.

CHAP. I.

Of the Bishop's Country, Family, and Education, and studying the Controversy with the Lollards.

1. DR. REYNOLD PECOCK is said to have been born somewhere in the principality of Wales. The chief authority for this, so far as I can find, is his being styled, in the Pope's bulls of provision of him to the bishoprick of St. Asaph, a Presbyter of the diocese of St. David's ; Presbytewhich, very probably, he is called either on account of his rum Menebeing born there, or having a benefice in that country.

2. As the place of our Bishop's birth is so uncertain, so it is as little known when he was born, or of what family he was. It is observed, that, at this time, instances were very common of persons of better rank than our Bishop's parents seem to have been, neglecting to take due care to preserve their pedigrees. However, we may, I believe, venture to say of the Bishop, as Sir Thomas More wrote of himself in his epitaph, that he was of a an honest family, though it was not much known or celebrated. If we sup

a Familia non celebri sed honesta natus.

B

vens. Dioc.

CHAP. pose the Bishop to have died b 1460, about three years I. after his deprivation, and that he was then about seventy years old, the time of his birth will fall about the year

1390.

3. But, not to dwell on things so obscure, and about which we cannot now be certain; of this we are sure, that the Bishop was educated in grammar-school learning; and being made fit for the prosecution of higher and more manly studies, was sent to the famous University of Oxford, and there admitted of Oriel or the Royal College. The studies which here he chiefly followed were, we are told, those of eloquence or rhetoric, or the art of speaking well, and of moral philosophy; both which he made subservient to that of divinity. The progress he made in these and his other studies soon made him taken notice of, insomuch that upon the election of Master Richard Garsdale, S. T. P. to be Provost of the College, Mr. Pecock was chosen fellow in his room, October 30, 1417.

4. As from Mr. Pecock's first admission in the University, he seems to have had his eye on holy Orders, and, with a just regard thereto, to have made choice of, and prosecuted his studies; so now being thought qualified for them, and to be of age and learning sufficient to enter into them, he applied himself to Dr. Richard Flemmyng, then Bishop of Lincoln, in which diocese Oxford then was, and of him obtained the favour of being ordained d Acolyth and Subdeacon the same day, viz. December 21, 1420, and of A. D. 1420. being admitted to the order of Deacon the 15th of February following, and to that of Priesthood the next month,

b Iste Reginaldus episcopus Assavensis valde fuit dispositus ad lepram corporis, et plures de parentela sua fuerunt leprosi. Etiam iste episcopus fuit leprosus mente; i. e. Hereticus fama plurium. F. Gascoigne, Dict. MS.

e So I find it in some MS. notes, communicated to me by the late Bishop Kennett, though Mr. Wood takes no notice of any one of this name being Provost of this College.

d Reginaldus Pecock socius Coll. Oriell Oxon. ordinatur Acolitus et Subdiaconus eodem die videl. 12 Kal. Jan. 1420, a Ricardo Linc. Episcopo, et Diaconus ad titulum dicti Coll. ab eodem Ricardo Episcopo 15 Cal. Mart. 1420, et demum Presbyter ab eodem 8 Id. Mart. 1420. Reg. Flemmyng.

March 8, by virtue of the title of the fellowship which he CHAP. held.

I.

5. These happy beginnings, it is observed, had such Leland Desuccess as virtue promises to her votaries and admirers, p. 458. script. Brit. namely, the very best; for Mr. Pecock having now finished the course of his academical studies, and been admitted into holy Orders, he took his Bachelor of Divinity's degree. This we are told he did e under a certain Monk of the Cistercian Order about the year 1445. But there seems to be some mistake in the figures, and that it ought to be 1425; about which time Mr. Pecock seems to have left the University.

6. At this time Humphry Duke of Gloucester was protector of the kingdom; and being a great patron of learned and virtuous men, and hearing the character of Mr. Pecock, who was now well known and much respected in his College and the University, he called him up to court. In what station he was there, I do not find; but Leland tells Descript. us, by what authority I know not, that Mr. Pecock was so serviceable to the court and his Prince, that in a little time he was endowed with very ample fortunes, and made a considerable figure.

66

Brit.

fol. 18. ed.

7. Sir Thomas More tells us of this Duke Humphry, that he was a great wise man, and well learned, and intimates that he was no friend and encourager of those feigned miracles which at this time were so much in fashion. “As I remember me," says he, "that I have heard Dialog. my father tell of a begger, that in King * Edward's days 1529. "the fourth, came wyth hys wyfe to St. Albonys, and * Henry VI. "there was walkyng about the towne, begging a five or "six days before the King's coming thither, saying, that "he was borne blinde, and never saw in his life, and was "warned in his dreame, that he should come out of Ber"wick, where he sayd he had ever dwelt, to seke St. Al66 bon, and that he had bene at his shrine, and had not ben

• Incepit in theologia sub quodam monacho Cistertiensis ordinis- -circa annum 1445. Gascoigne, Dict. Theol. MS.

CHAP.

I.

* honour.

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66

holpen, and therfore he wold go take him at some other place, for he had heard some say since he came, that St. "Albony's body should be at Colon.-But when the King 66 was come, and the towne full, suddenly this blinde man "at St. Albony's shrine had his sight agayne, and a mi"racle solemnly rongen, and Te Deum songen, so that "nothing was talked of in all the towne but this miracle. "So happened it then that Duke Humfrey of Gloucester, "having greate joye to see such a miracle, called the poor "man unto him. And first shewing himself joyous of "God's glory so shewed in the gettyng of his sight, and exhorting him to meekness, and to none ascribing of any part of the worship to himself, nor to be proud "of the peoples praise which would call him a good and "a godly man thereby; at last he looked well upon his 66 eyen, and asked whither he could never see nothing at "all in his life before. And when as well his wife as him"self affirmed fastly, no, then he looked advisedly upon Firmly, "histeyen agayne, and sayd, I beleve you very well, for "methinketh that ye cannot see well yet. Yes, Sir, quoth "he, I thanke God and his holy martyr, I can see now 66 as well as any man. Ye can! quoth the Duke; what presently. «colour is my gowne? Then anon the begger told him. "What colour, quoth he, is this man's gown? He told "him also; and so forth, without any sticking, he told "him the names of all the colours that could be shewed "him. And when my lord saw that, he bad him walke § vagabond, " § faytoure, and made him be sett openly in the stockes : “for, though he could have seen sodainly by miracle the "difference between diverse colours, yet could he not by "the sight so suddenly tell the names of all these colours, || but if he had know them before, no more than the 66 names of all the men that he should suddenly see."

with great

assurance.

cheat.

|| unless.

66

8. By this we may see, that this nobleman was far from being a bigot to usurped authority, and resigning his understanding to an implicit belief of feigned and pretended miracles, and so far agreed in his judgment with Mr. Pecock. But it was his great misfortune to be so far

CHAP.

I.

Chron.

fol. 2. b.

blinded either with ambition or doting for love, as to marry the Lady Jaquet, or Jacomin, daughter and sole heir to William of Bavier Duke of Holland, who was lawful wife Hall's to John Duke of Brabant then living: which marriage was Reign of not only wondered at by the common people, but also de- Hen. VI. tested of the Nobility, and abhorred of the Clergy. But had not this been his case, his thus detecting the pious frauds and superstitious forgeries with which that dark age abounded, we may well conclude made this great man abundance of enemies among those who were engaged both by zeal and interest to support the credit of such lying wonders. So that it is not at all strange, that we find him suspected as no friend to the Church, and, that by the contrivance of the Cardinal Bishop of Winchester, who then headed the Clergy, his Duchess Eleanor was convented for witchcraft and sorcery, and indicted for treason, in order to reproach and cast a slur on the Duke. But to return to Mr. Pecock.

Asaph.

um, &c. vol.

9. In the year 1431 he was made Master of the college Wharton de of St. Spirit and St. Mary in the city of London, founded Episc a little before by Sir Richard Whitington, several times Lord Mayor of London. By the statutes of this college Newcourt there was to be a Master, four Fellows, Masters of Arts, RepertoriClerks, Conducts, Chorists, &c. The Master was to be i. p. 493. chosen in one month after every vacancy by the four Fellows or Chaplains of the college, and to be Rector of the church of f St. Michael in Riola, near to which this college was builts. They were accordingly to certify their choice under their common seal to the Wardens of the Mercers' company, who were made conservators of the

f Whitenton College church standing in the street called Tower Ryall, a little above the Three Cranes, in the Vintree. Discourse of Peter's Life, &c. by Chr. Carlile.

Mr. Newcourt has omitted Mr. Pecock's name in the account he gives of the Masters of the college of St. Spirit, &c. and Rectors of St. Michael, as not finding it, I suppose, in the Bishop's register. But he was the fourth Master of this college. Repertorium, &c.

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