MarginaliaMoney cōmyng to þ^e Pope, betwene the Byshop of Lyncolne & the mōkes within his Dioces.relation was made before) hauing a great care how to bring the priuileged orders of religious houses within his precinct, vnder his subiection and discipline, went to Rome, & there with great labour, and much effusion of money as the story sayth, procured of the Pope a mandate, wherby all such religious orders were commaunded to be vnder hys power & obedience. Not long after, the Monkes not abiding that, who could soone wey downe the Bishop with money, sent their factours to the Pope, who, with their golden eloquence so persuaded him and stirred affectiōs, in such sort, that soone they purchased them selues freedome from their ordinary Bishop. Wherof Robert Grosted hauing intelligēce, made vp to Rome, and there cōplainyng to the Pope, declared, how he was disapointed and cōfounded in his purpose, contrary to promises and assuraunce made to him before. Vnto whom Pope Innocēt looking with a sterne countenance, made this aunswere againe: Brother (said he) what is that to thee? Thou hast deliuered and discharged thine owne soule. It hath pleased vs to shew fauour vnto them. MarginaliaHow pretyly the pope can take w^t both hāds.Is thine eye euill, that I am good? And thus was the Bishop sent away with a flea in his eare, murmuring with him selfe, yet not so softely, but that the Pope heard him say these wordes: MarginaliaMoney may do much at Rome.O money, money, what canst not thou do in the Court of Rome? Wherewith the Pope being somewhat pinched, gaue this aunswere againe: MarginaliaThe Popes aunswere to Rob. Grosted.O ye Englishmen, Englishmen, of all men most wretched. For all your seekyng is how ye may consume and deuour one an other. &c. an. 1250. Ex Parisiens. fol. 230.

It happened moreouer the same yeare, that the said Robert Grosted excommunicated and depriued one Ranulphus a beneficed person in his Dioces, being accused of incontinencie. Who after the terme of xl. dayes refusing to submit him selfe, the Bishop wrote to the Sheriffe of Rutland to apprehend him as contumax. Which Sheriffe because he differred, or refused so to do (bearing fauour to the partie) & being therfore solemnly excommunicate by the Bishop, vttered his complaint to the kyng. aWherat the king taking great displeasure with the Bishop of excommunicating his Sheriffe, & would not first make his cōplaint to him, sēdeth forthw^t a substātial messēger (Master Moneta) such as he was sure would spede, MarginaliaIustice peruerted by the Popes authoritie for money.vnto pope Innocent, by vertue of whose wordes the Pope easie to bee entreated, sendeth down a prouiso to þ^e Abbot of Westminster, charging that no Prelate nor B. in the realme of Englād should moleste or enter action against any of the Kynges Baylifs or officers, in such matters as to the kynges iurisdiction apparteined. And thus was this strife ended, not without some helpe & heape of Englishe money, so that no winde of any controuersie here styrred in England, were it neuer so small, but it blew some profite for the Popes aduauntage. an. 1250. Ex Paris. fol. 231.

MarginaliaMoney cōmyng to þ^e Pope by þ^e election of Boniface Archb. of Cant. And of Ethelmare Bishop of Wint. both straungers and Frēch men.In like maner no litle treasure grew to the Popes coffers by the election of Boniface the Queenes Vncle a Frenchman, to be Archbyshop of Caunterbury. an. 1243. and of Æthelmare the Queenes brother, to be Bishop of Winchester, agaynst the willes of the Prior and Couent there. an. 1250. besides many such other exchetes, which made England poore, and the Pope rich.

I come now something likewise to touch briefly of þ^e Popes dispensations, prouisions, exactions, contributions, and extorsions in England, in this kynges dayes: for to discourse all it is not one booke will hold it.

MarginaliaMariage with Alinore the kynges sister & Simone dispensed by the Pope for money.Symon Montfort Earle of Lecester had maryed Alinore the kynges sister, and daughter of kyng Iohn, who, by report of stories, had taken the mantell & ryng. Wherfore the kyng and his brother Richard Earle of Exeter, beyng greatly offēded with the Mariage, seyng that the Earle Symon made a hād of money, & postyng ouer to Rome, after hee had talked a few wordes inPope Innocentes eare, the Mariage was good enough: and letters sent to Otho the Popes Legate here, to giue sentence solemnly with the Earle. Notwithstanding the Dominike Friers and other of the like religious fraternitie, withstode that sentence of the Pope stoutly, saying, that the Popes holynes was therin deceiued, and soules in daunger, that Christ was gelous ouer his wife, and that it could not be any wise possible, that a woman which had vowed her Mariage with Christ, could afterward mary with any other. &c. anno. 1238. Ex Paris. fol. 114.

MarginaliaWhat inconueniēce commeth by the Popes dispensations.As there was nothyng so hard in the wyde world wherew^t the pope would not dispense for money: so by þ^e said dispensations much mischief was wrought abroad. For by reason therof the people trustyng vpon the Popes dispēsation, litle regarded what they did, what they promised, or what they sware. As wel appeared by this kyng Henry 3. who beyng a great exactor of the poore commons, as euer was any kyng before him or since, and thinkyng therby to wynne the people sonner to his deuotion, most faithfully promised them once or twyse, and therunto bound him selfe with a solemne othe, both before the Clergy & laytie, to graūt vnto them the old liberties and customes as well of Magna Charta, as Charta de Foresta perpetually to be obserued. Wherupon a Quindecim was graunted to the kyng. But after the payment was sure, the kyng trustyng by þ^e Popes dispensation for a litle money to be discharged of his othe and couenaunt, went from that hee had promised and sworne before.

MarginaliaWilfull periurie mainteyned by the Popes dispensations.In like maner the sayd kyng an other tyme, beyng in neede of money signed, him selfe with the crosse, pretendyng and swearyng depely in the face of the whole Parlament, that he would him selfe personally fight in the holy land agaynst the Saracens. But as soone as the money was taken, small care was takē for performāce of his othe, beyng so put in the head by certeine about him, that he neded not passe of that periurie, for somuch as þ^e pope for an hundreth pound or two would quickely discharge him therof. Ex Mat. Paris. fol. 273.

Out of the same corrupt spryng of these Popish dispēsations, haue proceded also many other foule absurdities. For where many yoūg men were in those dayes which enioyed benefices, & were no Priestes: & when by the procuremēt of Rob. Grostede Byshop of Lyncolne, the said young mē should be forced, whether they would or not, to enter orders, they laying their purses together, sent to Rome, and obteined of the Pope a dispensation to remaine still as they were, MarginaliaEnormities which spryng out of the Popes dispensations.that is, to haue the fruites of benefices to finde thē at schole or vniuersitie, and yet them selues neither Ministers to take charge, nor yeldyng any seruice for their profites takē. Ex Mat. Paris. fol. 256. Besides innumerable heapes of enormities moe, procedyng of the Popes dispensations, as dispensing one man to haue sondry Byshoprikes, to encroch pluralities of benefices, to make childrē Parsōs, to legitimate bastardes, with such other like, the particulars wherof, for breuities sake I do omit to further oportunitie.

MarginaliaThe miserable impouerishyng of the Realme by the Popes prouisitions & contributions.ALthough these emolumentes thus rising dayly to the Popes purse by Symonie and brybery, by elections, and dispēsations might seame sufficient to satisfie his gredy appetite, yet so vnsatiable was the auarice of that sea, that he not yet contented herewith, ouer and besides all this, sent euery yeare almost some Legate or other into this Realme, to rake for his aduauntage. In somuch that duryng all this kynges tyme, the Realme was neuer lightly without some of the Popes liegers