Third son of Richard the Copped Hat, ninth Earl of Arundel, and Alianora
of Lancaster; born 1352-3. Bishop of Ely, 1374; translated to York, of
which see consecrated Archbishop, April 3rd, 1388, on the expulsion of
Archbishop Neville. In 1390 he joined with Archbishop Courtenay of
Canterbury in refusing assent to statutes passed in restraint of the
Pope's prerogative. In the winter of 1394-5 he went over to Ireland
with the special purpose of exciting King Richard's jealousy and
suspicion against the political Lollards, after having for two years
professed to favour them himself. He was translated to Canterbury on
the death of Courtenay, and consecrated Archbishop, January 11th, 1397.
On September 19th of the same year, Arundel was commanded to keep his
house; and the day after was solemnly impeached by the House of Commons
of high treason, "he having in the eleventh year of the King [1387-8]
counselled the said Duke [Thomas of Gloucester] and Earl [Richard of
Arundel, his brother], to take on themselves royal power." (_Rot.
Pari_, iii. 353.) The Commons entreated on the 25th that the Archbishop
might be banished. The decree of banishment was issued, and he was
ordered to sail from Dover, on the 29th of that month. His see was
declared vacant, and Roger Walden was elected Archbishop in his stead.
But Arundel came back, landing at Ravenspur with Henry of Bolingbroke,
July 4th, 1399; and Roger Walden sank into such instant and complete
oblivion that some well-informed writers have dogmatically asserted that
there never was an Archbishop of that name. In October, 1404, Arundel
signalised himself by a violent quarrel with the Speaker in full
Parliament. He issued his rigid "constitution" against the Lollards in
1409; and he was the principal agent in the persecution of Lord Cobham.
He died February 20th, 1414, lingering for a few days after a paralytic
stroke, as stated in the story. His age was 61. The mantle of this
cleverest man of his day--clever for evil--descended, a hundred years
later, upon Stephen Gardiner. Any believer in transmigration could feel
no doubt that the soul of the one man inhabited the other.