164 The Story of a Prebendal Stall at Sarum. 



persons of his kinsmen. I hope we have changed all, or most of 

 that; perhaps I might say, it has been changed for us. For myself 

 I confess that in all promotion that is in the hands of a corporation 

 sole — whether bishop, dean, canon, archdeacon, rector, or vicar — I 

 should still like a controllng power vested in the hands of a body of 

 responsible advisers. For, after all, the best of men are but men 

 at the best, even when exercising a trust in which the interests of 

 many have to be considered. 



We pass on now to another holder of the prebend of Netheravon. 

 This was " Thomas Rotherham alias Scott." Our witty prebendary, 

 Thomas Fuller, in speaking of a bishop of Sarum who had two 

 names, remarks that " bi-nominous prelates " were commonly im- 

 pairers of their churches. This was undoubtedly true of Bishop 

 Salcot alias Capon, of whom he was then writing 1 , for his im- 

 mediate successor, John Jewel, in mourning over the diminished 

 revenues of his see, said playfully, " Verily a capon hath devoured 

 all." However my " binominous " predecessor was a distinguished 

 man, and a benefactor of the church. One of the original fellows of 

 King's College, Cambridge, he subsequently became Rector of Ripple, 

 in Kent, and Provost of Wingham. He subsequently became 

 chaplain to Edward IV., Provost of Bromley, Bishop of Rochester 

 (in 1463) and three years afterwards Bishop of Lincoln. In 1473 

 he became Lord Chancellor; and in 1480 he was advanced to the 

 metropolitical see of York. He was one of the executors of Edward 

 IV. He was a munificent friend of Lincoln College, Oxford, adding 

 no less than five fellowships to the same. Of course in the Lives of 

 Chancellors, as well as in those of Archbishops of York, much will 

 be found respecting Thomas Rotherham alias Scott. 



"Well, then, we have some six or seven worthy prebendaries, some 

 of whom held high office in the cathedral, of whom I know little 

 more than their names. One of them was Laurence Cocks, who 

 is described as a " Doctor of Decrees/' All that I can tell you about 

 him is, that he acted as professional adviser, I suppose I might say 

 as " Chancellor," or at all events as " Assessor," to Bishop Langton, 

 on the occasion of certain Lollards, or followers of WyclifFe, being 

 summoned before him at New Windsor, in 1490, and sanctioning 



