york00orns

JOHN DE THORESUY. 169
England, and his brother Archbishop Primate of
England.
Thoresby found his diocese in a state of gi'cat
disorganization. It had not recovered from the
effects of the " Black Death " and the devastation of
the Scottish marauders. There was a gi'eat amount
of ignorance which needed enlightenment, and not
a little irreligion to be grappled with. The clergy
whom he found serving the different parishes were, to
say the least, not likely to be of the highest type.
They had been hastily ordained to fill up the gaps
made by the plague. They were cither utterly regardless
of the reverence due to holy things and places,
or powerless to stop their desecration. Of this we
have several instances. The Archbishop issues orders
to the parishioners of Worksop to abstain from
wrestling, archery, indecent dances, and singing in
their churchyard, and prohibits the holding of markets
on Sundays in the porch and church)'ard of Whitgift.
Things were little better even in the Minster itself.
The vicars were scandalously careless in their conduct
of the services, and when they went about the streets
they emulated the dress and swagger of the belted
swordsman more than the grave attire and sedate
step of the scholar and the churchman. It was no
wonder ;
they were under no authority and subject
to no restraint. Papal provisions had filled the chief
places in the church of York with foreigners, who
were, of course, non-resident. Between 1342 and
1385 the deanery was held by three Roman cardinals
in succession. Many of the other dignities in the
Minster were occupied in a similar manner. It was