DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.6886#0212
180 HISTORY OF
already observed, to call the monks after the names of the places from whence
they came. Kedyngton is a village near Sudbury, in Suffolk, where, it is proba-
ble, he was born ; and, consequently, he derived his name from it. The additional
title of Sudbury, it may be presumed, he received from his having been a monk
in the priory of St. Bartholomew in that town, which was a cell to Westminster,
and from thence called to the parent abbey. It may, indeed, be observed, by
their names, that most of the monks came from parishes where either the mona-
stery or its cells possessed estates.
He was chosen, as his two immediate predecessors had been, by compromis-
sion, January 26, 1307-8, being himself one of the seven to whom the elec-
tion was committed; but, on his applying to the king for confirmation, he was
twice refused on account of the immorality of his character, and the insufficiency
of his abilities for performing the functions of his office*. The monks who ma-
naged his election, are represented as equally vicious with himself; and having,
by their adherence to the late Abbot de Wenlock, obtained his favour, and con-
trived to possess themselves of his property when he died, were enabled to pur-
chase the support of Pierce Gaveston, by the present of an hundred pounds;
who not only influenced the king to approve their choice, which he had already
rejected, but to write a letter in favour of it to the pope, as several of the mona-
stic brethren had taken measures to oppose it at the papal court. There the
matter was long kept in suspense, till, at length, De Sudbury, on his engaging to
pay eight thousand florins, received the pope's confirmation. Our historians com-
plain, with great justice, of the exactions of the Italian popes; but the papal
court of Avignon proved no less extortionate than that of Rome.
No small difficulty occurred in raising this money; but it was, nevertheless,
rigorously exacted. The abbot had paid two thousand florins previous to his
* Archives of the Church.
already observed, to call the monks after the names of the places from whence
they came. Kedyngton is a village near Sudbury, in Suffolk, where, it is proba-
ble, he was born ; and, consequently, he derived his name from it. The additional
title of Sudbury, it may be presumed, he received from his having been a monk
in the priory of St. Bartholomew in that town, which was a cell to Westminster,
and from thence called to the parent abbey. It may, indeed, be observed, by
their names, that most of the monks came from parishes where either the mona-
stery or its cells possessed estates.
He was chosen, as his two immediate predecessors had been, by compromis-
sion, January 26, 1307-8, being himself one of the seven to whom the elec-
tion was committed; but, on his applying to the king for confirmation, he was
twice refused on account of the immorality of his character, and the insufficiency
of his abilities for performing the functions of his office*. The monks who ma-
naged his election, are represented as equally vicious with himself; and having,
by their adherence to the late Abbot de Wenlock, obtained his favour, and con-
trived to possess themselves of his property when he died, were enabled to pur-
chase the support of Pierce Gaveston, by the present of an hundred pounds;
who not only influenced the king to approve their choice, which he had already
rejected, but to write a letter in favour of it to the pope, as several of the mona-
stic brethren had taken measures to oppose it at the papal court. There the
matter was long kept in suspense, till, at length, De Sudbury, on his engaging to
pay eight thousand florins, received the pope's confirmation. Our historians com-
plain, with great justice, of the exactions of the Italian popes; but the papal
court of Avignon proved no less extortionate than that of Rome.
No small difficulty occurred in raising this money; but it was, nevertheless,
rigorously exacted. The abbot had paid two thousand florins previous to his
* Archives of the Church.