quod ab antecessoribus meis beatus Petrus habuit, vobis mitto: eosq̀ honores & eam obedientiam quam tempore patris mei antecessores vestri in regno Angliæ habuerunt, tempore meo vt habeatis volo: eo videlicet tenore, vt dignitatis vsus & consuetudines, quas pater meus tempore antecessorum vestrorum in regno Angl. habuit: ego, tempore vestro in eodem regno meo integre obtineam. Notumq̀ habeat sanctitas vestra quod me viuēte (deo auxiliante) dignitates & vsus regni Ang. nō minuētur. Et si ego (quod absit) in tanta me diiectione ponerē: optimates mei (imo totius Angl. populus) id nullo modo pateretur. Habita igitur (charissime pater) vtiliori deliberatione, ita se erga nos moderetur benignitas vestra, ne quid inuit⁹ faciam & a vestra me cogatis recedere obedientia. In english.

MarginaliaThe letter of King Hēry the fyrst vnto the pope.To þ^e reuerent father Paschal the chief bishop, Henry by the grace of God kyng of England, greetyng. For thys your promotion into the see of the holy churche of Rome, as I am hartely glade: so my request is to you, þ^t þ^e frendship and amitie, which hath bene tofore betwene my father & your predecessors in tymes past, may now also betwene vs in lyke maner continue vndeminished. And that loue and gentlenes may first begin of my part: here I send vnto you þ^e gift þ^t s. Peter had in foretyme of my predecessors. And likewyse the same honours and obedience, which your predecessors haue had in þ^e realme of England before in the tyme of my father, I wyll you to haue the same in my tyme also: after this forme I meane and tenour, that the vsage and maner of dignity, & such customes which my father hath had in this realm of England in the tyme of your aunciters: MarginaliaSpoken lyke a king.I in like ample maner also now in your time may fully enioye the same in this þ^e sayd realme of England. Thus therfore be it knowen to your holines, þ^t during this life of mine (God almighty abelyng me to the same) these aboue named dignities, vsages, and customes of this realme of England, shall in no part be lessened. Yea, and if that I (as God forbyd I should) would so much deiect my selfe into such cowardnes: yet my Nobles, yea the whole people of England in no case would suffer it. Wherfore (deare father) vsing with your selfe a better deliberation in the matter, let your gentlenes so moderate it selfe toward vs, MarginaliaThe king is at a poynt to leaue the popes obedience.least ye compell me (which I shall doo agaynst my wyll) to receade and depart vtterly from your obedience.

At the same terme also he sent an other letter or epistle to the sayd Pope, crauing of hym the palle for Girardus, archbishop of Yorke, the forme wherof here also followeth.

MarginaliaAn other letter of king Henry the fyrst sent to the pope.Reuerendo et diligendo patri vniuersali papæ Paschali, Henricus dei gratia rex Anglorum salutem. Amor quem plurimum erga vos habeo, et benignitas quæ multum vestros actus exornat. &c. In English.

To the reuerende and welbeloued father, vniuersall pope Paschalis, Hēry by þ^e grace of God, king of England, greeting. The great loue which I beare to you, & the no lesse gentlenes in you, which not a litle beutiefith your doinges, ministreth to me boldnes to wryte. And wheras I thought to haue reteyned styll this Gerardus w^t me, and to haue craued your palle for hym by letters: yet not withstanding, when his desire coulde not otherwyse be satisfied, but would needes present himselfe before your presence, by his own hart to craue of you the same, I haue sent him vp vnto you. Desiring your benigne fatherhood in his behalfe, that he obtayning the palle at your handes, may be sent home agayne to me. And thus requyring the assistance of your prayers, I pray the Lord longe to conserue your Apostleship.

This second letter of the kyng in sendyng for þ^e Palle, was well takē of all the court of Rome, whiche (as mine autor sayth) procured such fauour to Girardus archbyshop of Yorke, and brynger therof: that no complaint of his aduersaries afterward could hurt hym with þ^e pope.Notwithstandyng he was accused greuously for diuers thynges, and specially for not standyng to the consecration of Anselme archbishop of Cant.

MarginaliaA place of Polydorus Virg. found faultie.Polidorus in his xi. booke of his English history, affirmeth, that Anselmus also went vp to Rome with Girardus, about the same cause. But both the premisses, & sequele of the story argueth that to be vntrue. For what neded the ij. Monkes to be sent vp on Anselmus side, if he had gone vp hymselfe. MarginaliaEx Guliel lib. 1. De pontific. Anglor.Again, how could the pope write down by the sayd messengers to Anselme, if he had there bene him selfe present? For so procedeth the story by the narration of Malmesbery and others.

MarginaliaThe pope lothe to go against hys own profit.After the ambassadours (thus on both sides sent vp to Rome) had laboured their cause with instant sute, one agaynst the other: the pope glad to gratifie the kyng (yet loth to graunt his request, beyng agaynst his owne profite, and therfore more inclinyng to Anselmus side) sendeth downe his letters to the sayd Anselme, signifeyng that he would not repeale þ^e statutes of his holy fathers for one mās pleasure: chargyng hym moreouer, not onely not to yeld in the cause of inuesting, but constantly to adhere to the foresaid decremēt of pope Vrbane his predecessour. &c. Besides this letter to Anselme, he directed also an other to the kyng hym selfe: whiche letter, myne autor sayth, the kyng suppressed, and did not shew: onely declaryng by worde of mouth, what the embassadours had sayd vnto hym from the pope. Whiche was, that he permitted vnto him, the licence of Inuestyng vpon condition, that in other thynges he would execute the office of a good prince. &c. To this also the testimonie of the ij. bishops aboue minded, did accord, which made the matter more probable. But the ij. monkes on the other side replied againe, bringing forth the letter of Anselme to þ^e contrary. &c. To them was aunswered again, that more credite was to be geuen to the degree and testimonie of the bishops, then to theirs: And as for monkes, they had no suffrage nor testimonie (sayd they) in seculare matters, and therfore they might hold their peace. But this is no secular matter, sayd Baldwyne abbot of Ramesey. Wherunto the nobles agayne on the kynges parte, aunswered saying: that he was a good man, and of such demenour, as they had nothyng to say against him, neither so would if they might: but yet both humane and diuine reason taught them so, to yeld more credite & confidence to þ^e testimonie of iij. byshops MarginaliaHe meaneth beside the ii. bishops Girardus which made the thyrd.thē of two monkes. Whereby may wel appeare, that Anselme at that tyme went not with them. Then Anselmus seyng the kyng & his peers howe they were set: and hearyng also the testimonie of the iij. bishops, against whiche he saw, he could not preuaile: And also hauyng the Popes seale, whiche he sawe to be so euident on the contrary side: made hys answere again, that he would send to Rome, for a more certeinty of the truth. MarginaliaAnselme a deuout chaplain to the church of Rome.Adding moreouer, that he neither would nor durst geue ouer his cause, though it shoulde coste him his life, to do or procede against the determination of the church of Rome, vnlesse he had a perfect warrant of absolution from thence, for his discharge. Then was it agreed by the king and his nobles, that he should not send, but go him selfe to Rome. And much intreatie was made, that he would take that iorney him selfe, in his owne person, to present him selfe to the pope, for the peace of the church and of his countrey. MarginaliaAnselme iournieth agayne to Rome.And so at length by persuasion was content, went to Rome, and spake with the Pope. In shorte tyme after foloweth also, the kynges ambassadour (William Warlwast) new elect bishop of Exetor: who there pleadyng on the kinges side, for þ^e aūcient customes of the realme, and for the kinges right of Inuesting. &c. MarginaliaThe effect of the oration of W. Warlwast, at the popes court.First declared: how England of a long continuance, had euer bene a prouince peculiar to the churche of Rome, and how it payed dewly his yearely tribute vnto the same. Inferring moreouer how the kyng, as he was of nature very liberall, so also of cou-