Hugh bishop of Chester, with Geffrey the elect of Yorke and John earle
of Mortaigne the kings two brethren, by commandement of the king passed
ouer into Normandie, to commen with him before his setting forward.

¶ Some write, that now at this present, the king should ordeine or
rather confirme the bishop of Elie his chancellour to be lord chéefe
iustice ouer all England, and the bishop of Durham to be lord iustice
from Trent northwards. [Sidenote: Contention betwixt two ambitious
bishops.] But whensoeuer they were thus aduanced to such dignities,
howsoeuer they came by them, directlie or indirectlie, true it is, that
immediatlie therevpon, strife and discord did arise betwixt them: for
waxing proud and insolent, they disdained ech other, contending which of
them should bare most rule and authoritie, insomuch that whatsoeuer
séemed good to the one, the other misliked, as in cases where[3]
parteners in authoritie are equall, it often happeneth. The like hereof
is noted before betwéene the archbishops of Canturburie and Yorke in
diuerse kings reignes. For the nature of ambition is to delight in
singularitie, to admit no peere, to giue place to no superior, to
acknowledge no equall. Hereto alludeth the poet verie neatlie, and
exemplifieth it in the old Romans, the order of whose actions is
continued at this day, as by the words insuing may be gathered, and
ordinarilie obserued booth here and elsewhere;
[Sidenote: _M. Pal. in sua virg._]
---- olim
Romulidæ orabant, iacto post terga pudore
Plebeios, quoties suffragia venabantur,
Cerdonúmq; animos precibus seruilibus atq;
Turpibus obsequijs captabant, muneribúsq;
Vt proprijs rebus curarent publica omissis;
Pérq; forum medium multis comitantibus irent,