and to euerych of the shryues to be graūted two clerkes, and two officers without mo. Ex Fabia.

Marginalia1230.Then folowed the yere. 1230. In which, vpon the day of þ^e conuersiō of S. Paul (as sayth Parisiens.) as a great multitude of people for solēnitie of the day were congregate in the temple of S. Paul: the Bishop then beyng at his Masse: a sodein darknes, w^t such thicknes of cloudes fell in the ayre, that vnneth one man might see an other in the church. MarginaliaA soden terror among the people in Paules church by thunder & lightning.After that, folowed crackes of thūder and lightning so terrible, leauyng such a sent in the churche: that the people lookyng for domes day, thought no lesse but that the steple and the whole church would haue fallen vpon their heades. In so much that they running out of the churche, as people amased, fell downe together by thousandes, as men amased: not knowyng for the tyme where they were: onely the bishop and his deacon, stoode still at their masse, holdyng the aulter fast. Ex Paris.MarginaliaEx Paris. Pag. 75.

Marginalia1231.
Richard Archbishop of Cant.Of the death of Steuen Langhton, and of the troublesome election of the next archbishop: also of the costly and chargeable bryngyng in of Richard to succede in þ^t rowme, whiche did coste the whole realme of England the tenthes of al their moueables: sufficient hath ben declared before. This Richard beyng nowe confirmed in hys seate, MarginaliaThe complaint of Richard archb. of Cāt. against Hubert lord chiefe iustice.came to the kyng complainyng of Hubert the Lord chiefe iustice, ofte mentioned before, for wythholdyng from hym the castle and towne of Tunebruge w^t the appurtenaunce to the same belongyng, and other landes of the erle of Clare late deceased: which lands appertayned to the ryght of hys seate, and to the church of Cant. for the which the sayd Earle with his aunciters were bound to do homage to hym & to his predecessors: and therfore required the kepyng of the foresayde castle wyth the demaynes therof to be restored vnto hym. MarginaliaThe kinges answere to Richard the archb.To this the kyng aunswered againe, that the sayd Erle did hold of him in Capite, and that the castles being vacant of Earles and Barons with their heyres, did belong to hys crown, til the lawfull age of þ^e said heyres. The archbishop when he could get no other aunswer of the king, MarginaliaExcōmunication abused.did excommunicate all such as inuaded the foresaid possessions wyth all other that tooke their parte, the kyng onely excepted. Which done, eftsoones spedeth himselfe to Rome, there to prosecute his sute before the pope. The kyng hearyng therof, not long after sendeth vp maister Roger Cantelu with certain other messengers to Rome agaynst the Archbishop.

MarginaliaRichard the archb. cōplayneth to the pope of hys kyng, & of other matters moe.Thus Richard the archbishop comming before the popes presence, beginneth first to complayn of his king, for that he committed all the affayres of the realme to þ^e disposition and gouernment of Hubert his iustice, vsing onely his counsaile, all his other nobles despised.

Against the said iustice moreouer he complayned, laying to hys charge: First that he had maried a wyfe, being the kinswoman of her whome he had maryed before: also that the said Hubert þ^e iustice dyd inuade, hold and wrongfully deteine such possessions, as belonged to the see and church of Cant. ¶ As touching the wife of this Hubert, here is to be noted that he maryed the elder sister of the kyng of Scottes, which semeth could be of no great kynne of her whom he maried before.

Farther, he complained of certayne bishops his suffraganes, who neglecting their pastorall function, did sit on checker matters belōgyng to the kyng, and exercised sessions and iudgementes of bloud.

MarginaliaPluralitie of benefices cōplayned of by the archbishop of Cant.Ouer and besides, he complayned of beneficed persons, and clerkes within orders, for hauing many benefices, ioyned with cure of soule: And that they also taking example of the byshops, did intermedle in seculare matters, and in iudgementes of lay men.

Of these and such other defaultes, he required redres to be had. The pope weyng and consideryng the cause of the Archbyshop to stand vpon right and reason (at least wise seming so to his purpose) commaūded incontinenthys petitions and requestes to be dispatched accordyng to iustice.

MarginaliaThe kings attournies could not spede with the pope.Agaynst these complaints of the archbishop, the kings attorneis alledged and defended, in as much fauour of the kyng, as they might, but could do no good. Such fauour foūd the archbishop in the popes sight, beyng (as þ^e story reporteth) of a comely personage, & of an eloquent tonge, MarginaliaRespect of person doth much with the pope.þ^t he obteined what soeuer he asked. Thus þ^e archbishop w^t al fauorable spede beyng dispatched at Rome, after hys own wil & desire, returned homeward: MarginaliaRichard the archb. in hys iourney from Rome, dyeth.who in his iorney w^tin iij. dayes of his setting forth, departed in þ^e house of þ^e gray friers at S. Gemmes, and so his cause departed w^t him: who winnyng his sute, lost hys lyfe for whō it had ben better I suppose to haue taried at home. And here of him an ende, with all his complaintes also. Ex Parisiens.

After the death of this Richard, the monkes of Cant. (accordyng to the maner) addresse them selues to a new election: MarginaliaRaffe Neuyll B. of Chichester elected archb. of Cāt.at whiche was chosen Radulf Neuill, byshop of Chicester, who was the kynges Chauncelor, much commended in stories, to be a man faithfull, vpright, & constant: whiche from the way of iustice declined neither to the right hand nor the left. But vpright and sincere both in word and dede. This Ranuffe (thus chosen of þ^e monks) was presented to þ^e kyng to be their archbishop, wherew^t the kyng was right wel contented, and glad also of this election: MarginaliaThe king inuesteth the archb. of Cant.
Ex Math. Paris.and forthwith inuested hym for archbishop of þ^e church of Cant. But this inuesting of the kyng was not ynough, vnles he should also be confirmed by the Pope. Wherefore, the monkes ready to take their iorney vnto Rome, came to the new Archbishop: requiryng his helpe for their expenses by the way, and to know what seruice he would commaund them to the court of Rome. MarginaliaA rare exāple of a good archbishop.But he fearing in his minde the same not to be without some scruple of simonie and ambition, said he would not geue an halfe peny, and holding vp his hands to heauen thus praied, saying: MarginaliaThe prayer of the archbishop elect.O Lord God, if I shalbe thought worthy to be called (although in dede vnworthy) to the seat and office of this church: so be it as thou shalt dispose it. But if otherwise, in this troublesome office of Chaūcery, and this my inferiour ministery, wherunto I haue ben assigned, I shall seme more necessary for this thy kingdome and people: I refuse not my labour: thy will be done.

The monkes beholdyng the constancie of the mā, notwithstandyng they had of him no money yet refused not their trauaile and iorney to Rome, to haue their election confirmed, by the Popes autoritie. The pope inquiryng of Simon Lāghton (brother of Steap. Langhton archb. of Cant. before mentioned) of the person of this man: MarginaliaSimon Langhton archb. of Yorke, a malicious backbiter, of Radulfus archbishop electe.it was reported agayne to him by the sayd Symon (malitiously deprauyng the good man behind his backe) declaring to the pope, that he was a courtiour, vnlearned, hasty and feruent in hys doynges, and such one: who if he should be promoted to that dignitie, would go about, w^t the helpe of the kyng, and of þ^e whole realme, to remoue and bryng the realme of England from vnder the yoke of the pope and of the church of Rome. And so to bereue the see of Rome of the tribute, vnder whiche kyng Ihon had once subiected him self and his realme, at what time he yelded his crowne to the hands of Pandulfus the Legate &c. With these & such others words, Simon Lāghton falsely and malitiously depraued the godly byshop. MarginaliaThe rash iudgement of the popeThe pope hearyng with one eare, & credityng what he hard, without farther inquisition made of þ^e other partie accused: sendeth incontinent to the monkes of Canterbury to procede in a new election, and to chuse to them an other Archbishop, such as were an holesome pastor of soules, profitable to the church of England, and deuout to the churche of Rome. MarginaliaThe election of Radulfe archb. elect defeyted by the pope.And thus was the lawfull election of this good Archbyshop made frustrate, to good peraduenture to serue in that place, wherunto he was elected.