withall violence exacting and extorting continuall prouisions contributions, and summes of money to be leaued out of Celles, Abbayes, Priores, fruites of benefices, and Bishoprikes, and also lay mens purses, to the miserable empouerishing both of the Clergie, & temporaltie, as here vnder foloweth.

MarginaliaCardinal Otho Legate in England.First after Pandulphus, was sent into this Realme Cardinall Otho, procured by the kyng, without the assent of his nobles, to þ^e entēt to assiste him in certein affaires, he had to do. MarginaliaThe receauing of Otho the popes Legate into the Realme.
an. 1237.At receauing of which Legate, great preparuance was made, many rich and precious giftes in scarlet, in plate, in iewels, in money & palfreys were geuen him. Whom the kyng also him selfe went as far as the Sea side to receaue, bowyng downe his head in low coursie to the Cardinals knees. To whom also the Bishop of Winchester for his part gaue toward keepyng of his house, fifty fatte oxen, a hundreth seme of whete, and viij. great vessels of pure wyne. This Legate at his first comming beginneth first to bestow such benefices as he found vacāt, vpon thē whom he brought with him without respect, whether they were meete, or vnmeete. Ex Paris. fol. 103.

After this the Pope hearyng how the nobles and cōmons of the Realme began to stomacke the Cardinall for his excessiue procurations and exactiōs, sent for him home: but þ^e king, by reason he stode in feare of his nobles, and thought to haue a stay by þ^e Cardinall agaynst all occurrentes, entreated him to stay while hee wrote to the Pope, to obteine further licence for him to tary: and so did, not without some English money, ye may be sure.

MarginaliaOtho the Legate deketh to come into Scotland.In this meane tyme of vacation, Otho thinkyng to lose no time, but to gather also some crōmes in Scotland, made as though he would set thinges there in order, which were in the Church of Scotland to be reformed, and so commeth to the kyng of Scots, beyng then in Yorke with kyng Henry, to haue leaue to enter. Vnto whom the king thus made aunswere, MarginaliaThe kyng of Scotes his aunswere to Cardinall Otho.that hee neuer saw, to his remembraunce, any Popes Legate in his land, neither was there any such nede (God be praysed) for any such to be sent for. Matters there were well enough, and neded no helpe of his. MarginaliaThe realme of Scotland hetherto neuer troubled with any Popes Legate.And as he could neuer learne either in the dayes of his father, or any his predecessours, that any such entrance to any Legate was graunted, so he for his part, would not now begyn. But yet notwithstandyng, for somuch as I heare (sayd he) that you are a good man, this I tell you before, that if ye will nedes aduenture in, do it warely, and take hede to your selfe, lest it happen to you otherwise, then I would wishe: for they be a sauage and vnruly people, giuen much to murder, and sheding bloud, whom neither I my selfe am scarse able to bridle, so that if they fall vppon you, I shall not be able to helpe you. And how they also inuaded me, and sought to expell me frō my kyngdome, ye heard alate. And therfore I warne you now before, take hede by tyme, what ye thinke best to do. MarginaliaCardinall Otho stopped from goyng into Scotland.After the Cardinall heard the kyng speake these wordes, he pluckt in his hornes, and durst proceede no farther but kept him still by the side of kyng Henry. Notwithstandyng shortly after, the same Legate commyng to the borders of Scotland, there called þ^e Bishops to him, & so whē he had well filled his bagges came bake again. Ex Mat. Paris. fol. 106. 123.b.

It was not long after, but licence came from Pope Gregory to his Legate Otho, for his lōger abode here in the Realme (as welcome as water in the shyp) with new authoritie also to proceede in the Popes affaires. Who first shewyng to the Byshops and the Clergy his letters of longer tarying, required of them, for somuch as no man (sayd he) warreth of his owne charges, to be supported with new procurations, which was to haue of euery able Church foure Markes, and where oneMarginaliaOppressions of the church of Englād by Cardinall Otho the Popes Legate.Church was not able to reach therto, that other Churches should ioyne with all, to make þ^e sayd money. Notwithstandyng the Byshops a great while stode in denyall therof. Paris. fol. 123. 128. 132.

Besides he assembled together all blacke Monkes of S. Benedicts order, giuyng to them strait orders, which shortly after for money, he released to them agayne. Paris. fol. 116. 119.

MarginaliaAnno 1238.Moreouer by the sayd Otho, & other the Popes executours with speciall Bulles directed downe for the same, collation of benefices beyng taken out of the handes of the patrons, were giuen to light and vyle runagates, comming from Italy and other places, such as pleased the pope and his Legate to bestow thē vppon, to the great preiudice of the auncient libertie and right of the true patrons therof. MarginaliaThe nobles of Englād write to Pope Gregory for collatiō of benefices wrasted out of their hāds.Wherupō the Earles & Barons & nobles of the realme addressed letters vnto pope Gregory, by Sir Rob. Twyng Knight, for redresse of such wrong & iniuries, who otherwise should be forced (they said) to inuocate þ^e succor of their king, who both was able & no lesse was willing according to his duety (they trusted) to reforme such enormities, & to defēd the liberties of his realme. The tenour of whose writyng is to be read in Mat. Paris. fol. 128.a.

Not long after the same, in the yeare of our Lord. 1240. came a new precept from pope Gregory, by Petrus Rubeus the popes nuncio, MarginaliaPetrus Rubeus the Popes carper.to the foresaid Otho, MarginaliaAll beneficed men in England cōpelled to giue the fift part of their reuenewes to þ^e Pope. an. 1240.that all beneficed men in the Clergie as well in England as Fraunce, should pay to the Pope the fift part of their reuenewes. Wherupon when the Clergy mē made their complaint to the kyng, seekyng to be releued by him, the kyng aunswered them agayne that hee neither would, ne durst stand agaynst the Pope in any case, and so without all hope of succour sent thē away. Paris. fol. 132. MarginaliaAnno. 1240.Then were the Archbyshops, Byshops, Abbats, and Prelates of the Church commaunded to assemble together at Redyng, there to heare the popes pleasure & cōmaundement, concernyng the paymēt of this fift part. Where in the end thus the matter concluded, that the Prelates desired a further tyme to be giuē thē to aduise vpon the matter, & for that season, the assembly brake vp. Paris. fol. 122.b. MarginaliaExcuses of the Clergy why they would not contribute to the pope.Notwithstanding at last after many excuses and exceptions layd in by the Clergy, first that because the money was gathered to fight agaynst the Emperour, they ought not to contribute their money cōtrary to the liberties of þ^e Church. Itē, for somuch as they had payd a tenth not lōg before vnto the pope, vpon cōdition that no mo such paymēts should be required of them, much lesse now the fift part should be exacted of them, because an action twise done maketh a custome. Item, seing they had oftymes to repayre to the Court of Rome, if they should giue this money agaynst the Emperour, it would turne to their daunger commyng through his land. Item, seyng their kyng had many enemies, agaynst whom they must nedes releue the king with their money, they could not so do, if the Realme were thus impouerished. &c. All which excuses with diuers other moe notwithstādyng, they were compelled at lēgth to conforme them selues to the Popes good pleasure, through the example giuen of Edmund Archb. of Canterbury who to obteine his purpose agaynst the Monkes of Cant. (with whom he was then in strife) begā first to yeld to the Legates viij. hundreth Markes for his part. Whereby the rest also was fayne to folow after. Ex Mat. Paris. fol. 132. 136.

MarginaliaThre C. children of Rome placed in benefices in England.Furthermore the same yeare the Pope agreed so with the people of Rome, that if they would ayde him against Friderike the Emperour, looke what benefices were to be giuen in England, the same should be at their abitrement to be bestowed vpon their children. Wherupon commaundement was sent to the foresayd Edmund Archbishop, to the Bishops of Lyncolne and Sarum, that all collations of benefices within þ^e realme should be suspended, till prouision were made for three hundreth children of the Citezens of Rome, to be first