there of ys Cantorburye, in yt there be ij. || D iij.||
Abbayes, bothe of thaym be of Saynte Benedycts ordre,
but that which ys callyd Saynte Augustyns dothe apere
to be the oldre, that whiche ys callyd now Saynte
Thomas dothe apere to haue be the Archebyshope of
Cantorburys see, where as he was wontyd to lyue with a
sorte of monkes electe for hymselffe, as Byshopes now
adayes be wontyd to haue thayr howses nye vnto the
churche, but aparte frome other canons howses. In tymes
paste bothe Byshopes & Chanones were wontyde to be
monkes, as may be playnly prouyd by many argumentes.
The churche which ys dedycate to Saynte Thomas, dothe
streche vpe apon heght so gorgeously, that it wyll moue
pylgrymes to deuocion a ferre of, and also withe hys
bryghtnes and shynynge he dothe lyght hys neybures,
& the old place whiche was wontyd to be most holy, ||
now in respecte of it, is but a darke hole and a lytle
cotage. There be a couple of great hye toures, which
doo seme to salute strangeres aferre of, and thay dow
fyll all the contray abowt bothe farre and nere, with
the sownde of great belles, in the fronte of the
temple, whiche is apõ the southe syde, there stand
grauen in a stone thre armyd men, whiche with thayr
cruell handes dyd sleye the most holy saynte Thomas,
and there is wryten thayr surnames Tracy, Breton, and
Beryston. _Me._ I pray you wharfore doo thay suffer
thos wykyd knyghtes be so had in honoure. _Ogy._ Euyn
suche honor is gyuen to thaym as was gyuê to Iudas,
Pylate, and Caiphas, & to the compauy of the wykyd
sowdyeres, as you may se payntyd in the tables that be