A HISTORY OF HAMPSHIRE 



The bishop resigned the great seal in June, 1318, having held it 

 for about eighteen months after his consecration. This he did to secure 

 more time for his diocesan work ; but the king refused to spare him 

 altogether from affairs of state, and for the last year of his life he held 

 the office of treasurer. In this position he was of great service in the 

 grave financial difficulties connected with the war with Scotland ; never- 

 theless his episcopal supervision over Hampshire and Surrey was remark- 

 ably thorough, earnest and minute. As he went through the streets of 

 his cathedral city his attention was drawn to a young cleric walking about 

 in a parti-coloured dress (vestem pub lice defe rens sfragu/atam) , and learning 

 that his name was John Ashley, subdeacon of the abbey church of St. 

 Mary, he at once issued a formal mandate to the abbess and convent, 

 drawing their attention to this scandal to their convent. Nor was it mere 

 trifling that caused him to order his registrar to enrol this mandate in his 

 act book, but rather as a token that he expected all his clergy to be sober 

 in their habits. At another time we find Sandale issuing his mandate 

 to the Archdeacon of Winchester to order special prayers to be said in 

 every church on Sundays and festivals that God, of His divine mercy, 

 may direct and prosper the king and his army, and restore peace to the 

 realm ; and this in no mere formal or perfunctory manner, but request- 

 ing in beautiful language that the people may be instructed to be assi- 

 duous at mass and in prayer, and also in almsgiving, fasting and other 

 works of charity, without which they could expect no heavenly bless- 

 ing. 1 



On the death of Sandale a prolonged dispute between the monks 

 and the king resulted in the pope nominating Rigaud de Asserio, an Italian 

 who knew this country well, having been papal nuncio for some years 

 to England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. He was not consecrated until 

 November, 1320, and was enthroned at Winchester on Whitsunday, 1321. 

 Early in December of the latter year, when the young bishop had only 

 had seven months' experience of his important diocese, he was dis- 

 patched by the king on affairs of state to the Roman court. Asserio 

 tarried in the south of France till his death in April, 1323. Just before 

 leaving England, the bishop issued a special commission to Peter of 

 Bologna, Bishop of Corbavia, who already acted as suffragan bishop of 

 London and Canterbury, to discharge the necessary episcopal functions 

 during his absence. 



As Asserio died at the papal court, the pope claimed the right of 

 appointing his successor, and nominated John Stratford, a distinguished 

 lawyer, who had been made Dean of Arches by Archbishop Reynolds in 

 1321. Stratford played an important part in the revolution of 1327, 

 and was one of the twelve special councillors of the vounp- kine 

 Edward III. 



chronicled efficiency with that of Sandale. It has been admirably reproduced and edited by Mr Baigent 

 in the Hants Record Series. There is another remarkable example of episcopal energy in Thomas's 

 account of the contemporary Bishop of Worcester, Walter Maidstone, 1 3 1 3-7. 



' There are three of these mandates for diocesan prayer for the year 1317, viz. June q, August 12 

 and November 3. 



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