MarginaliaThe eyght Nero.deathe. Wherefore, this Boniface was worthely called the eight Nero: of whom it was rightly said, he came in lyke a Foxe, he reygned lyke a Lyon, and dyed lyke a Dogge.

MarginaliaPope Boniface. viii.Thus pope Boniface succeeding, or rather inuading after Celestinus, behaued himselfe so imperiouslye, that he put downe princes, excommunicated kinges, such as did not take their confirmation at his hand. MarginaliaThe mischiefe of Pope Boniface described.Diuers of hys Cardinals he draue awaye for feare, some of them as schismatickes he deposed & spoyled thē of all their substaunce. Philip the Frenche king he excommunicated, for not suffering his money to go out of the relme, and therfore cursed both his and him, to the fourth generation. Albertus the Emperour not once nor twise, but thrise sought at his handes to be confirmed, and yet was reiected, neyther could obtayne, vnles he woulde promyse to driue the French king out of hys realme. MarginaliaGuelphes and Gibelines. ii. factions in Rome.The factious discord in Italy betwene the Guelphes, and Gibellines, which the part of a good Bishop had beene to extinct: so litle he helped to quench the smoke, that he of all other was chiefest fyrebrande to encrease the flame. In so much that vpon Ashwedensday, when Porchetus an Archbishop came and kneeled downe before hym to receaue his asshes: Pope Boniface loking vpon him, and perceauing that he was one of the Gilbelines part, cast his handfull of ashes in hys eyes saying: Memento homo quod Gibellinus es. &c. That is: remember man that a Gibiline thou art, and to asshes thou shalt go. MarginaliaIubilei first begonne in Rome.Thys Pope moreouer ordeyned fyrst the Iubilei in Rome: in the solemnising wherof, the first day he shewed hymselfe in his pontificalibus, and gaue free remission of synnes to as many as came to Rome out of all the partes of the world. MarginaliaThe pope claymeth and practiseth power of both swordes.The second day (being arrayed with imperial insignes) he commaunded a naked sword to bee caried before hym and sayd with a loud voyce: Ecce potestatem vtriusq; gladii. That is, Loe here the power and authoritie of both the swordes. &c.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaPope Boniface 8. autor of the boke of decretals. Romishe pardons first begun by Pope Boniface 8.By this sayd pope Boniface, diuers constitutions extrauagants of hys predecessors were collected together, with manye of hys owne newlye added therto, and so made the boke called Sextus decretalium. &c. By whom also first sprang vp pardons and indulgences frō Rome.

[Back to Top]

These thinges thus premised of Boniface the pope, nowe will I come to the occasion of the strife betwene hym, and the French king:  

Concerning which matter, first I finde in the historye of Nicholas Triuet, that in the yeare of our Lorde. 1301. the bishop of Oppanuham being accused for a conspiracie agaynst þ^e French king, was brought vp to his courte, and so committed to prison. MarginaliaEx hist. Nic. Triuet.The pope hearing this, sendeth word to the king by hys Legate to set hym at libertie. The French king not daring to the contrary, looseth the bishop: but when he had done, he dischargeth both the bishop and the Legate commaunding them to voyde hys realme. Wherupon, pope Boniface reuoketh all the graces and priuilegies graunted eyther by hym or hys predecessors before to the kingdome of Fraunce: also, MarginaliaPhillip the Frēch king excommunicated.not longe after thundering out the sentence of hys curse agaynst him. Moreouer, citeth all the prelates, all diuines, and lawyers both ciuile and canon, to appeare personallye before hym at Rome, at a certain day,which was the first of Nouember. Agaynst thys citation, the kyng agayne prouideth and commaundeth by straite proclamatiō, that no maner of person should export out of the realme of Fraūce eyther golde, or siluer, or any other maner of ware or marchandise, vpon forfeting all their goodes, and theyr bodyes at the kinges pleasure: prouiding with all, the wayes & passages diligently to be kept that none myght passe vnsearched. Ouer and besides, the sayd Frenche king defeyted the pope in geuing & bestowing prebends, and benefices, and other ecclesiasticall liuinges, otherwyse then stoode with the popes profyte. For the whichcause, the pope writeth to the foresaid king in forme and effect as followeth.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaEx lib. Stephani Anfrefrerij.BOniface the seruaunt of Gods seruauntes, &c. feare God, and obserue his commaundementes. We will thee to vnderstand, that thou arte subiecte to vs both in spirituall thinges, and temporall. And that no gift of benefices or prebendes belongeth to thee: & if þ^u haue þ^e keping of any being vacāt, that thou reserue the profits of them to the successors. But if thou haue geuen any, we iudge the gift to be voyde: and call backe, how far so euer thou hast gone forward. And who soeuer beleueth otherwyse, we iudge them heretickes.

[Back to Top]

Vnto thys letter of the pope, kyng Philip maketh aunswere agayne in maner and order as followeth, which is this.

MarginaliaA letter of K. Philip of Frāce to pope Boniface.TO Boniface bearing hymselfe for chiefe Byshop, litle health or none. Let thy folishnes knowe that in temporall thinges we are subiecte to no mā, and that the giftes of prebendes, and many benefices made and to be made by vs were and shall be good both in tyme past and to come. And that we will defend manfully the possessors of the sayd benefices, and we thinke thē that beleue or thinke otherwise, fooles and madd men. Geauen at Paris the Wedensday after Candlemas. an. 1301.

[Back to Top]

After these aforesayd and other writinges passing to and fro, betwene the Frenche kyng and the pope: within a yeare and a half after, the king sommoneth a Parliament, sending downe hys letters to hys Shriefes and other officers, to summon the prelates and Barons of the realme, vnto the sayd courte of Parliament, according to the tenour of the kinges letters here following.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaA parliament sumoned by K. Phillip at Paris.Philip by the grace of God kyng of Fraunce, &c. Wheras we woulde take counsaile with the prelates, Barons and other our faythfull, about weightie matters and hard, and such as belong greatlye to our ryght touching our honour, state, liberties and lawes of this our realme, churches, and ecclesiasticall persons, and woulde also goe forwarde and procede in the foresayd matters according to their counsayle: We commaund you, that ye diligently in our behalfe require and straitlye charge all the prelates in your balywycke, and also all and singulare Abbats and Priors of the same your foresayde balywycke, (to certayne of the whiche, we haue directed downe our speciall letters for the same cause) that as they fauour our honour, the good state both of the realme, of themselues, and of the church: they repayre to vs in their owne persons, all letters and delayes set a syde, and all other busines left of. Shewing to them moreouer, that we can iudge none of them to be eyther to vs faythfull subiectes, or frendes to the realme, which shall fayle herein, or withdrawe himselfe in the foresayd busines, counsailes, and helpes in tyme. Wherin if peraduenture any shall slacke or refuse to resort & come toward vs w^tin. viij. dayes from the tyme of this charge geuen by you, or your commaundement: That then, you to seise all hys temporall goodes into our hand, and so seised to holde them vntil you receaue other commaundement from vs. Geuen at Paris, the monday before the natiuitie of S. Iohn Baptist, in the yeare of our Lord. 1303.

[Back to Top]

Marginalia1303.IN the name of God Amen. In the yeare of our Lord. 1303. Indictione secunda, the 12. day of March, and the