but, on
being informed that he died under sentence, the body was brought to St.
Clement's beyond the Temple, but was ejected; so that the naked corpse,
with a rag given by the charity of a woman, was laid on the spot called
'Le Lawles Cherche,' and without any grave, lay there with those of his
two esquires, without office of priest or clerk. His house was attacked,
the gates burned, quantities of jewels and plate plundered."

In another account of his death it is stated that his head was "fixed on
a long pole by way of trophy, that it might be to all beholders a
lasting memorial of his attempted crime." There was a personal reason
why the bishop was unpopular among the citizens, for "he procured that
the justices in eyre should sit in London; on which occasion, because
the citizens had committed various offences, they were heavily punished
by the loss of their liberties, by pecuniary mulcts, and by bodily
chastisment, as they deserved." But the queen caused his body to be
rescued from the "hepe of rubische," and it was removed to Exeter, where
it lies on the north side of the choir. He left behind him large sums of
money and plate, a valuable library and, unique item, ninety-one rings.
He was certainly one of the greatest prelates in English history, and
though he may have been, as his detractors asserted, "fumische and
without pite," he was revered in his diocese, and left an example of
courage and honesty to succeeding generations. His executors, animated
by a wish to do what he would have desired, distributed L210 8s. 8d. in
charities, and gave considerable sums to other worthy objects. And the
Abbot of Hartland caused the 15th of October to be solemnly observed,
out of gratitude for the late bishop's bounty, and decreed that on that
day "for all future times 'XIII. pauperes in aula abbatis, pro ipsius
anima, pascantur.'"

To follow so redoubtable a prelate as Stapledon must have been an
extremely difficult task. But Grandisson, who was appointed after
Berkeley's short episcopate ended, has sometimes been called the most
magnificent prelate who ever filled the see. He was nominated directly
by the pope, and consecrated by his holiness at Avignon. His chief glory
is that he allowed the splendour of the see in no wise to diminish, and
he kept up the Stapledon traditions of princely hospitality and
well-doing. His reputation of "grave, wise, and politick" seems to have
been fairly earned. As a descendant of the great