treaty with the king and his council for his ranfom, fhewing at the fame time his bulls from the pope. The king, who loved Wykeham very much, did whatever he defired. The duke had his liberty, on paying twenty thoufand francs ; and fir * William Wykeham was made bifhop of Winchefter and chancellor of England. In this manner, the French lords who were hoftages in England obtained their liberty. We will now return to the war in Gafcony, which firft broke out on account of the appeal that has been already fpoken of. * * The cuflom of prefixing the addition of Sir to the Chriftian name of a clergyman was formerly ufuai in this country. Fuller, in his church-hiftory, book YL enumerates feven chauntries, part of a much larger number, in the old cathedral of St. Paul, in the time of king Edward VI. with, the names of the then incumbents, moft of whom have the addition of fir j upon which he remarks, and give this reafoa why there were formerly more firs than knights : fuch priefts as have the addition of fir before their Chriftiau name were men not graduated in the univerfity. being iu orders, but not in degrees ; whiift others, entitled Matters, had commenced in the arts. This ancient 'ufage is alluded to in the following humorous catch : • Now I am married, Sir John Fll not curfe : He join'd us together for better for worfe. But if I were fingle, I do tell you plain, I'd be well advis'd, ere I married again.* Sir John Hawkins9 Hift* of Mu/ic, vol. II. p. £t8. VOL- lit CHAP. 385