Chapter Fopling Flutter to Forgers and Forgeries of F by Brewer's Readers Handbook

(12) Chatterton (Thomas), in 1777, published certain poems, which he affirmed were written in the fifteenth century by Thomas Rowley, a monk. The poets Gray and Mason exposed the forgery.

His other literary forgeries were: (1) The Pedigree of Burgum (a Bristol pewterer), professed to have been discovered in the muniment-room of St. Mary’s Church, Redcliffe. He accordingly printed a history of the “De Bergham” family, with a poem called The Romaunt of the Cnyghte, by John de Bergham (fourteenth century). (2) A forged account of the opening of the old bridge, signed “Dunhelmus Bristoliensis,” and professing to have been copied from an old MS. (3) An Account of Bristol, by Turgotus, “translated out of Saxon into English, by T. Rowley.” This forgery was made for the use of Mr. Catcott, who was writing a history of Bristol.

(13) Clementina. A spurious account of the journeys of Clemens Romanus with the apostle Peter. The Apostolic Canons and Constitutions attributed to him are also spurious. Clemens is said to have died in 102.

(14) Clementines (The). Nineteen discourses preceded by two letters. One of the letters is from St. Peter to St. James (bishop of Jerusalem), the other is from Clemens to the same. The “discourses” are spurious Christian stories. On these forgeries rest the main evidence that the apostle Peter was bishop of Rome.

What is generally understood by Clementines, is the third part of the Decretals of Raimond de Pennafort, with the rescript of Boniface VIII., undertaken by order of pope Clement V. The Clementines of Clementi are apocryphal homilies.

(15) Codex Diplomatious. (See under Vella.)

(16) Croyland Abbey. The Historia Monasterii Croylandensis was at one time supposed to be written by Ingulph abbot of Croyland, in Lincolnshire (born 1030–1109); but sir Francis Palgrave, in the Quarterly Review of 1826, proved that the said history was a pure romance, composed by some monk in the thirteenth or fourteenth century.

(17) Decretals (False) (A.D. 835–845). A shameless forgery, purporting to be fifty-nine rescripts of bishops in the first four centuries, signed by such names a s St. Anacletus (who died 78), St. Alexander (who died 109), St. Fabian (who died 236), Julius (who died 837), and St. Athanasius (who died 373). The object of these false Decretals is to diminish the authority of metropolitans over their suffragans, by establishing an appellant jurisdiction of the Roman see in all causes; and by forbidding national councils to be held without its consent. Every bishop is made amenable only to the tribunal of the pope. Every accused person might appeal to the pope from any civil sentence; the pope only could make new sees, or translate from one to another. Upon these spurious Decretals has been built up the great fabric of papal supremacy. Knoch says that these false Decretals “produced enormous changes in the Roman hierarchy, doctrine, and discipline; and that they have raised the authority of the pope to an incalculable extent.”

They were proved to be forgeries by Nicolas Cusanus, in 1452; by Laurentius Valla in 1457; by Cusanus in 1586; and by Blondel in 1628. At length pope Pius. VI., in 1789, had the honesty and courage to pronounce the author Impostor nequissimus, and the Decretals infamous forgeries. But they had served their purpose.

The author was either Isidore Mercator or Precator (a Cenobite), Benedict Levita of Mentz, or Riculfe (archbishop of Mentz). As they were called “Isidorian Decretals,” probably Isidore Mercator was the author, and he wished his name “Isidore” to be mistaken for St. Isidore of Seville, who lived 570–636, i.e. about 200 years previously.

(18) Eikon Basilikê [I-kon Ba-zil-i-ke], published 1649. At one time attributed to Charles I. But John Gauden, writing to the bishop of Exeter, says the “book is wholly and solely my own invention.” It contains a minute