Cardinalis. Actor for auctor in many MSS. The Author of liber festivalis or festialis. A Remark relating to St. Wenefride. §. XVII. Many Things in this Chronicle, that are different from what is related by other Historians. §. XVIII. Some of which are here enumerated. §. xix. In lieu of the first Part of Robert of Brunne, several Things are here pu blished of greater use and service. An account of Mr. Andrew Paschal. A Note about Mr. John Gibbon's MSS. Papers in the Heralds Office. A short Account of Dr. Walter Charleton. An Interpolation in Camden, which Mr. Webb did not discover to be such. A Passage relating to Stone-henge from Mr. Camden's MS. Supplement in the hands, of the publisher.§. xx. Stone-henge perhaps a British Monument, notwithstanding it might have been a Roman Work. Mr. Camden's Approbation of, and Assistance in, Dr. Holland's Additions, may justify such as cite them for Mr, Camden's own. §. XXI. even from the other Roberts of converse with a learned, modest and hoGloucester spoke nest Friend of Hereford-shire, (the same, of in my Preface I mean, that, besides his other great assist to that Chronicle. ance ance in the Work, drew up the Indexes to the celebrated Dr. Hickes's Thesaurus Linguarum Septentrionalium, and is so excellently well qualify'd to compile the Antiquities of that County about which he hath many curious Materials) at which time he was pleased to lend me the Life of St. Thomas Cantilupe Bishop of Hereford, which tho' a printed Book, yet is very rare and seldom to be sèen; as many Books of the same kind are also very scarce, and, therefore, greedily and industriously pick'd, up by such curious Collectors as was the famous Mr. Richard Smith, that writ about Christ's Descent into Hell, and collected most of his Rarities out of the Library of H. Dyson, a person of a very strange, prying and inquisitive genius in the matter of Books, as may appear from many Libraries, there being Books, (chiefly in old English) almost in every Libra 2 } See the General Preface ed by Robert Walker, at to Dr. Hickes's Thesaurus, the Sign of the AnnunciaP. V. Vide Præf. ad Lelan- tion of our B. Lady. 1674. di Coll. §. 10. Intitled, 8vo. See pag. 371, 372. The Life and Gests of S alias p. 401, 402. or the last Thomas Cantilupe Bishop of leaf save one of his Auction Hereford and some time be-Catalogue. 5 So in a MS. fore L. Chancellor of Eng- Note, written by my very land. Extracted out of the learned Friend Mr. Thomas authentique Records of his Baker, B. D. of St. John'sCanonization as to the maine Coll. in Cambr. at the be part, Anonymus, Matt. ginning of my Copy of Mr. Paris, Capgrave, Harpsfeld, Smith's Auction Catalogue, and others. Collected by which was given me by the R.S.S.J. At Gant, Print- said Mr. Baker. ry, ry, that have belòng'd to him, with his name upon them. I perus'd and read over this Life of Cantilupe with some considerable pleasure and attention, there being many things in it handled in a true rational way, such as becomes a Christian Historian. But the main reason of my speaking of it now is, upon account of the Author's mentioning a Robert of Gloucester, that was Secretary to the said venerable and most holy Bishop at the time of the Bishop's Death, and was afterwards Chancellor of Hereford. At first one would think, that this Robert of Gloucester (whom the Writer of the Life met within the very Process of his Canonization) was the Author of the Chronicle that bears his name, but, upon a serious and deliberate consideration of the matter, I conclude him to be a quite different person, and even different also from all the Roberts of Gloucester, that I have mentioned in my Preface to that Work. Neither is it likely, that, had the Secretary been the Author, he would have passed over in silence his holy Master's Life, and not brought the thread of his History down to that Period, and given a very distinct and particular Account of the Acts of so worthy, religious and conscientious a Prelate, who equall'd in T 'See this Life, pag. 195, &c. 2 §. XXIV. the the great Sanctity and Severity of his Life, and in the exercise of all virtuous and religious Duties, many of the most eminent of the primitive Christians. §. II. It must, indeed, be granted, that there was so little difference with respect to the time, in which these two 2 Yet he seems to have been in the vigour of his Age at the time of the Chronicler's Death. Roberts (the Historian and the Secre- A Mistake of Bitary) flourished, that the Secretary shop Godwin's. seems to have been in his full vigour when the other died, which was, as I take it, some little time after the VIth. year of K. Edward the First's Reign, which could not, therefore, be long before the Death of Bishop Cantilupe, who was consecrated in Christ Church Canterbury anno Christi, 1275. and of his Age about 56, and was cut off by a Feaver 3, in the 63a. year of his Age, at, or rather near to, a Place known by the name of Monte Fiacone near Florence, on the 25th of August, though his Festivity were kept on the 2d of October. This I note the rather, because, tho' Bishop Godwin be right with respect to the time of his Death, yet he is 3 6 whereof I have a Copy in Vel- mistaken mistaken in saying, it was at Civita Vecchi, and in his way to Rome, whereas it was really in his way from Rome (after he had happily gained the Point he went thither for) and at the Place I have assigned. Nor does Matthew Westminster, notwithstanding what Godwin says, inform us, that his Death happened as he was going to Rome; which particular is so much the more worthy of notice, because it would otherwise take away that part of the honour which is due to the Bishop, for accomplishing a noble Action in behalf of the Rights of the Church of Hereford, against John Peckham Archbishop of Canterbury, a business, I believe, that no one could have carried with the Pope, but one of Cantilupe's extraordinary Piety, Sincerity, and Learning. No reason, fromthe §. III. I am aware, that from what lived, to take Ro- I have said about the Age of the Hibert of Gloucester storian and the Secretary, it will be the Historian and be one and thesame Person. The His Robert of Glouce inferr'd by some, that they were one ster the Secretaryto and the same person. But, unless I am much mistaken, they will be presently satisfy'd to the contrary, when ligious, who often they have impartially considered, that lost their first Sir- the original Sirname of the Histo torians in former Times were theRe. Ibid. 2 Of which the CCLXXXVII. 4 P. 537. 5 See Author of his Life mentions my Preface to Rob. of Glouc. undenyable Proofs, pag. 195. §. XXIV. 3 See his Chron. sub an. м. |