Office; and as a public notary he was present at the signing of the
Treaty of Bretigny.

Possibly owing to the dearth of clergy caused by the Black Death,
Wykeham, after the laying-on of hands by his old master, Bishop
Edington, became an acolyte in the December of 1361, a sub-deacon in the
March following, and priest in the June of 1362. A few years later, when
Edington was laid to rest within his cathedral, a sharp controversy
arose between the King and the Pope as to who should succeed. The
differences, which need not be discussed here, being eventually settled
to the satisfaction of both parties, Wykeham was offered the vacant see,
when he said to the King:

"Sire, I am unworthy, but wherein I am wanting myself, that will I
supply by a brood of more scholars than all the prelates of England
ever showed".

And how worthily he fulfilled his promise is a matter of history.

To quote the authors of _Historic Winchester_:

"There was a great stir in the old city when the day of Wykeham's
enthronement arrived. It was the 9th of July, and the town would be
looking especially beautiful in its bower of trees; an outrider had
announced the bishop before he entered the city, probably by the
north gate, and either here or at the entrance to the close he was
met by the Archdeacon of Northampton, William Athey by name, who
was commissioned to enthrone him: having saluted, the Archdeacon
alighted from his palfrey, which according to the custom at that
time was with all its trappings taken possession of by this