city of Bayonne and one Peter de Conties.

His frequent public charges may be confidered as a certain proof of his ability in the management of political objects. He was foon engaged again in the fervice of his country, and with Lord Zoach, the Earl of Warwick, and others, he was fent to France, to renew a treaty which had fubfitted, with feveral interruptions, from the reign of Richard the Second, and to conclade an alliance of perpetual peace, with the Duke of Burgundy.

The former of thefe was only effected, and a trace was ratified for eight months, at Lenlingham, a frontier town, and the ufual place of conference. We may infer, from the frequent renewals of this truce, that the infraction of treaties was very common in thefe ages. The poffeffions of the English on the ancient territories of France were fubmitted to with impatience, and maintained with captious exactnefs, which administered perpetual caufes of contention. .

Not long after this negociation, Chichele was tranflated to the fee of CanTerbary, which was vacant by the death of Arundel. The prior and monks of that church were unanimous in their election, and on his declining to accept of these honours till the Pope had cancelled the bonds by which he was united to the church of St. Darid's, an application was made by the brotherhood to the Pope, which the crown ftrongly seconded.

The court of Rome is always fruitful in expedients. To preferve the honour of the apoftolic fee, and to confult its interefts, required no fmall fhare of addrefs. The old papal claim of providing to vacancies in the church could not well be waved, and it was not fafe to offend the English monarch, by an obftinate oppofition to his wifhes. A middle plan was adopted. The "pontiff infifted on his right of provifion, but took care, at the fame time, that his choice fhould not be different from that of the petitioners.

On the 13th of May, 1414, he put in full poffeflion of his tempo ties by the King, at Leicester, foon after he had received the from the Bishop of Winchefter, feffed obedience to the Pope, in customary forms, and been inve with the fpiritualities.

Chichele now began to move ir higher and more enlarged fphere. was peculiarly bound to protect a merous body of clergy, and to fupi. -_ the established religion. He ente upon his charge at a most critical ju ture. During the last two reig Wickliff had made great ftrides towa weakening the authority of the chur The facerdotal function began to viewed with lefs refpect, and their venues to be reckoned the produce exorbitant exactions. The Comm aflembled in parliament had even f fented a bill for converting the te poral poffeffions of the church to relief of national neceffities*. T factious pride and deep refentments the two powerful houfes of Orleans a Burgundy were privately fomented Henry of England, whofe friendfl they alternately follicited. The t dukes, indeed, in 1412, according the fimple manners of the age, ro through Auxerre, mounted on 0 horfe, which gave hopes of a reco ciliation. But thefe hopes were del five. Paroxisms of infanity render Charles VI. unable to govern h realms, or appeafe thefe tumults; 1 that France was torn by contendin factions, while Henry politically abe ted thefe diffenfions, as he foon fore faw that it must eventually tend t the advantage of his dominions.

Such was the fituation of affairs, an fuch was the temper of the people when Chichele was tranilated to th metropolitan fee. The parliamen convened at Leicester, revived the ol attack upon the temporalities of th church. Ambassado "the Frene. court had arrived amounted to little declaration of h

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tation, and the Archbishop's prefence was neceflary. The propofals of the young and victorious monarch were rejected. Yet, though his heart acknowledged the beauty of the Princefs Catharine, he would not abate a single article of his pretenfions, but continued to profecute his fucceffes with unabated vigour.

Chichele, after affifting in the treaty of Rouen, returned to England, at the latter end of the next fummer. At a convocation, fresh fupplies were granted to the King; a priest, who had been accused of witchcraft, and fome difciples of Wickliff, were cenfured. He again went to France, in May 1420, on the marriage of Henry and Catharine. He was prefent at the fieges of Montereau and Melun, and, by his conduct, he contributed to temper the ferocity of military manners, and the licentioufnefs of a camp, by the mild fuggeftions of humanity, and the influence of religious example.

On his return, the fees of institution and induction were moderated, and it was decreed that ordination fhould be conferred without a reward.

The death of Henry V. happened foon after, and threw the kingdom into univerfal confufion. Chichelè retired to his diocese, in order to avoid every political occupation. He paffed through the diocefes of Chicefter, Salisbury, and Lincoln.

A diligent enquiry into the morals and religion of the inhabitants, and a reform of the abufes, which, through indolence, or inattention, had eluded the notice of his predeceffors, marked the course of the Archbishop's journies. - Supplies were now wanted for the profecution of the war. Chichelè was again called forth, but his eloquence could not effect what the Bishops of Winchester and Bath had in vain at tempted. The upper houfe of convo cation would engage in no meafures which the delegates of the lower order did not approve.

Another fynod was affembled, but they would only confult for the maintenance of religion, and the cenfure of herefy. The young King was now brought to London, and the animofities LOND, MAC. Aug. 1783.

of the protector Humphry Duke of Gloucefter, and the Bishop of Winchefter, would not suffer Chichelè to remain an indifferent fpectator to an occurrence pregnant with fuch difaftrous confequences. It was at length determined that they fhould make reciprocal conceffions, and exchange forgiveness in the prefence of the King and the Parliament.

Another fynod was convoked. They ftill continued obftinately parfimonious, and paid with reluctance, what they had granted fparingly.

Chichele, about this time, incurred the refentment of Pope Martin V. becaufe he was fuppofed to have occafioned, by his influence, the failure of a defign, which he had formed, of repealing fome acts, which restrained the power of the papal chair. The protector at the fame time ordered him to fend all bulls, or public letters from the Pope, unopened, to the council.

Papal cenfures were ftill formidable. The belief of the Catholic doctrines, and the perfuafion of the Pope's infallibi lity were clofely interwoven. Chichele, therefore, determined to try the effect of foothing entreaties and humble reprefentation, and requested the interceffion of feveral cardinals.

Martin demanded an immediate compliance. The ecclefiaftics, the Univerfity of Oxford, and several temporal dords interefted themselves in the defence of their archbishop. But in vain. The Pope wrote to the King in a very dictatorial ftyle, and threatened Chichele with excommunication, if he did not ufe his influence to procure the abrogation of the acts. In confequence of this letter, he pointed out the misfortunes that would refult from the kingdom being laid under an interdict, in the refectory of Westminster Abbey: the Commons were not influenced by his fpeech, but, however, petitioned the King to intercede with Martin, as they faw the difficulties of his fitua tion, and here ended this troublesome difpute.

In 1431, the Pope died, and reftored to Chichele a profpect of repofe and tranquillity, which his advanced age and growing infirmities very much required. R

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The Duke of Bedford now preffed the King to go in perfon to France, as the Maid of Orleans and the late ill fucceffes of his army had confiderably abated the English intereft in that country. The Archbishop was appointed commiffioner to raise fupplies for the journey, which was foon terminated by the King's return.

Eugenius, the new Pope, openly quarrelled with the fathers, at the council at Bafil, because they wished to unite the Greek and Latin churches, and to reform the church univerfal. The fynod was removed to Bologna, and delegates were fent to it from Eng

land.

For the following four years little bufinefs of confequence was tranfacted, as during this feafon of leifure Chichelè formed the idea of founding a college. As the duration of his life could not be long, he determined to extend his provident care to pofterity, and to temporary benefits to add one of a more permanent duration. In the year 1437, he laid the foundation of a college in Oxford; a lafting teftimony of his regard for literature, and of its beneficial influence on fociety.

During the next year, Chichelè refufed to invest a French prelate with the fpiritualities of the Bishopric of Ely, when the Pope had appointed him without the knowledge of the English clergy. He again oppofed the Pope, by infifting that Cardinal Kempe, Archbishop of York, fhould not have precedence of him in the Houfe of Peers; as his former rank was derived folely from his attendance on the Pontiff's perfon.

In order to affift the universities, which were then in a very reduced state, he decreed, with the concurrence of the fynod, that ecclefiaftical patrons for ten years, thould confer benefices on members of either univerfity, and that vicars-general, commiffaries, and officials, fhould be chofen out of the graduates in civil and common law.

The affiftance of the clergy next demanded his attention. The King was petitioned, who promifed to lay their complaints before parliament. The examination of the Duchefs of Glou

cefter was taken before him, in 1441, which was the last public bufinefs in which he engaged, for in April 1443, he died, not before he had requested the Pope to appoint the Bishop of Bath his fucceffor. The King backed his petition, as the perfon he named was rendered worthy of the holy fee, by his devout zeal, his great talents, noble birth, powerful connexions, and conciliating hospitality.

The monuments of, his munificence have immortalized his name. He founded, in May, 1422, a collegiate church at Higham Ferrers, the place of his nativity, for the maintenance of eight chaplains, four clerks, and fix chorifters. For the maintenance of the poor in the town, he alfo erected an hofpital.

At Canterbury, whence he derived his rank and power, he adorned the cathedral, and built a large library, which he furnished with a good collection of books. At Lambeth, he repaired and improved the archiepifcopal palace.

At Oxford, where he acquired the accomplishments, which raifed him to his rank, and qualified him for the right ufe of his power, he built the Northgate ftreet, and erected a college of the fouls of all the faithful deceafed.

The fellows originally were twenty, but the warden was invefted with pow er to increase the number to forty; and in 1442, they made their entrance into the college. Their laws are fuppofed to have been compofed by the famous civilian Lyndewood, under the Archbishop's direction, who fet his feal to them on April the 2d. On the 12th he died, in the thirtieth year of his adminiftration of the metropolitan fee, and about the eighty-firft of his life.

His remains were depofited in Canterbury cathedral. His monument was erected while he was alive, and is ornamented with his effigy, in his pontifical veftments; beneath which, is a fkeleton in a fhroud.

The following infcription is placed on his monument:

Hic jacet Henricus Chichelè, Legum Doctor, quondam Cancellarius Sarum. qui anno feptimo Henrici IV. regis ad Gregorium