Bernard — Richard Talbot, Archbishop and Chancellor. 219 



to his oilier preferments the iiicunibeiicy of Willey free chapel (January 15th), 

 and the rectory of Kingsland (Februaiy ISth). This latter preferment he 

 exchanged on 16tli July, 1412, for the rectory of Old Eadnor. On 26th 

 October, 1412, he resigned the Precentorship of Hereford on his appointment 

 as prebendary of Friday thorpe in York Cathedral; and on 16th May, 1416, 

 he resigned his Portion in Ledbury. 



The list of his early preferments is, however, not yet exhausted ; for he 

 became Dean of Chichester in 14 14, appearing in that capacity in Bishop Rede's 

 Register on 6th March of that year.' His successor in the Deanery was in 

 office in 1420, but it is not possible to determine the period of Talbot's tenure 

 more exactly, nor is there any direct evidence that he was ever in residence 

 at Chichester. The custom of that Cathedral required the Dean to be chosen 

 out of the Chapter, so that Talbot may have held a prebend there in earlier 

 days, along with his other benefices. 



To be a pluralist on such a scale would be deemed scandalous in our time, 

 but there was nothing unusual about it in the fifteenth century. It was the 

 fashion of the age, as I have said, to provide for men who were intended for 

 a career of statesmanship, by allocating the revenues of Church benefices to 

 their support — a bad fashion, and one which was strongly criticized by the 

 Lollards, who in this had reason on their side, and was soon to be swept away 

 by common consent ; but it must be remembered that in those days ministers 

 of the Crown and ambassadors to foreign countries received no fixed salaries, 

 and that there was nothing like our paid Civil .'^ervice. 



liichard Talbot's life-work was determined for him while he was still a 

 young man. His elder brother, the famous Sir John Talbot, afterwards the 

 first earl of Shrewsbury, became Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in 1414. His 

 eminent services in the French war entitled him to some reward from the 

 Crown, and it was thought to be important to place a soldier at the head of 

 the Irish Government, as Ireland was then in a deplorable condition of 

 unrest. Shakespeare's picture of him is familiar : — 



" the warlike Talbot, for his acts 



So much applauded through the realm of France. "- 



When he became viceroy of Ireland, he desired at once to avail himself 

 of his brother's assistance; and in 1416 Kichard Talbot was elected to the 

 Archbishopric of Armagh, doubtless by the influence of the Crown. But he 

 failed to secure confirmation of the appointment in time, and the papal 



' For the facta as to Talbot's connexion with Chichester, I am indebted to the courtesy 

 of Prebendary Deedes. 

 2 1 Hen. VI, ii, 2. 



L'SO*] 



