Book I.] BISHOP MERKS. 55 



Newmarket gave birth to Thomas Merks/ or 

 Markes, who became Bishop of Carhsle. This notable 

 native of Newmarket, in the dark ages, was famous 

 for his steady adherence to Richard II. when that 

 unfortunate royal turfite was bereft of friends and 

 followers. Shakespeare introduces this distinguished 

 ecclesiastic in his drama of Richard II., in Act III. 

 scenes 2 and 3, and Act V. scenes i and 4, to which 

 we beg to refer the reader, while we must confine our 

 brief memoir and the "high sparks of honour" which 

 proud Bolingbroke was constrained to admire in his 

 " enemy," to more authentic historical authorities, 



■^ Thomas Merks, fifteenth Bishop of Carlisle, was a monk 

 of Westminster, and Master of Divinity. He had restitution of 

 the temporalities of this see from King Richard II., and a provi- 

 sion made to him by the Pope in the year 1397. In 1399, in 

 the will of Richard II., Thomas, Bishop of Carlisle, is named 

 as one of the five prelates whom that racing monarch joined 

 with his nephew, the Duke of Surrey, and others of his 

 royal relations, in the executorship, to each of whom he 

 bequeathed a gold ring of the value of ^20. And he 

 was the only bishop who took letters of protection from 

 that king, subjecting himself thereby to personally attend 

 his Majesty to Ireland in May, 1399: an unfortunate ex- 

 pedition, as during his absence Bolingbroke arrived in 

 England and usurped the throne. The latter having been 

 crowned in the month of September, Henry IV. assembled 

 his first Parliament at Westminster in the ensuing month 

 (October), in which this distinguished and faithful native 

 of Newmarket was the only one bold enough to say publicly 

 what others silently thought, concerning the treatment which 



Joan de Novo Mercato, widow of Adam de N. M., claims dowery of 

 certain land, etc., in Venteleney. 18 Edward I., A.D. 1290. — Rot. Pari. 

 V. I, 62a. 



