That he was born at St. _Albans_, appears by a certain passage in one of his _Latine_ Poems, cited by Mr. _Cambden_, and thus Englished by his Translatour, Doctor _Holland_. _This is the place that knowledge took of my Nativity, My happy Years, my Days also of Mirth and Jollity. This Place my Childhood trained up in all Arts liberal, And laid the ground-work of my Name, and skill Poetical. This Place great and renowned Clerks into the World hath sent; For Martyr bless'd, for Nation, for Sight, all excellent. A troop here of Religious Men serve Christ both night and day, In Holy Warfare, taking pains duly to watch and pray._ He is thought by some, saith _Bale_, to have been a Canon Regular, and to have been preferred to the Abbotship of _Glocester_, as the Continuater of _Robert of Glocester_ will have it. And Master Alisander that Chanon was er Imaked was of Gloucestre Abbot thulk yer. Viz. 7 Reg. Regis _Johannis_. But this may be understood of _Alexander Theologus_, who was contempory with him: and was Abbot of St. _Maries_ in _Cirencester_ at the time of his death. Bishop _Godwin_, in his Catalogue of the Bishops of _Lincoln_, maketh mention of a passage of wit betwixt him and _Phillip Repington_ Bishop of _Lincoln_, the latter sending the Challenge. _Et niger & Nequam cum sis cognomine Nequam, Nigrior esse potes, Nequior esse nequis_. Both black and bad, whilest _Bad_ the name to thee, Blacker thou may'st, but worse thou canst not be. To whom _Nequam_ rejoyned, Phi _not a foetoris_, Lippus _malus omnibus horis_, Phi _malus_ & Lippus, _totus malus ergo_ Philippus. Stinks are branded with a _Phi, Lippus_ Latin for blear-eye, _Phi_ and _Lippus_ bad as either, then _Philippus_ worse together. A Monk of St. _Albans_ made this Hexameter allusively to his Name: _Dictus erat_ Nequam, _vitam duxit tamen aquam_. The Elogy he bestoweth on that most Christian Emperor _Constantine_ the Great, must not be forgot: From _Colchester_ there rose a Star, The Rays whereof gave Glorious Light Throughout the world in Climates far, Great _Constantine, Romes_ Emperor bright. He was (saith one) Canon of _Exeter_, and (upon what occasion is not known,) came to be buried at _Worcester_, with this Epitaph, _Eclipsim patitur Sapientia, Sol sepelitur, Cui si par unus, minus esset flebile funus; Vir bene discretus, & in omni more facetus, Dictus erat_ Nequam, _vitam duxit tamen aequam_. Wisdom's eclips'd, Sky of the Sun bereft; Yet less the loss if like alive were left; A man discreet, in matters debonair, Bad Name, black Face, but Carriage good and fair. Yet others say he was buried at St. _Albans_ (where he found repulse when living, but repose when dead) with this Epitaph,