ry fit and commodious: and willeth and commaundeth thē and all other by his autoritie Apostolicall, with all deuout reuerence to receiue him, and humbly to obey him, &c. which was an. 1229. Ex paris.MarginaliaEx Math. Paris.

These things thus finished at Rome, þ^e pope forgetting the swete promises made of the English siluer, which he so gredily gaped for, omittyng neither tyme nor diligence in all spedy wise sendeth to the king of England maister Stephen his own chaplein and trusty Legate, to require & collect the foresayd tithes of all the moueable goods both of England, Irelād, and Wales, which were promised to him before, MarginaliaThis was a deare Archb. of Cant. brought wyth the tythes of all England.therwith to maintayne his warre against Friderike the Emperour. And to the intent he might inflame all christen realmes with the like hatred which he bare agaynst Friderike the Emperor, sendeth also with the said Stephē speciall letters full of manifold complaints and greuous accusations against the sayd emperour, wherof more (Christ graunting) shalbe shewed hereafter. Vpon the commyng of this Stephen the Legate, þ^e kyng assembled all his erles and Barons, with the Archbishops, bishops, Abbots, Priors, Templaries, Hospitalars, parsons and vicares, and other such as held of hym in capite, to appeare before hym at Westminster, to heare and to common of the matter. MarginaliaThe pope requireth the tenthes of all the moueables in England, Wales, & Ireland.In the assembly of whom, the Popes patent letters were brought forth and red, wherein he required the tenthes of all the moueables in England, Wales, and Ireland, as well of the clergy as of the laitie, to maintaine hys expedition agaynst the foresayd Friderike the Emperor. MarginaliaThe cōtent of the popes letters, to the kyng.The which expedition as he pretended to atchieue & to take in hand for þ^e cause of the vniuersall church, and happely had begon the matter already: and for so much, as the riches of the Apostolicke see did not suffice, for the accomplishing of so great an enterprise: MarginaliaThe false pretense of the pope vnder the name of the church, wreking hys owne cankered malice.he therfore enforced by mere necessitie, dyd implore the ayde and helpe of all the true obedient and natural chickens of the Church of Rome, lest the members therof together with the head should be subuerted. These letters of the pope, to this effect, beyng openly recited and explaned by the Popes chaplaine, which he with much more allegation and perswasion of wordes did amplifye to his vttermost, the king (sayth mine author) in whome all men dyd hope to haue an helpe to their defēce, became thē as a staffe of reede. MarginaliaThe kynges mouth stopped.For as much as he had obliged hymselfe to the same before, for þ^e electiō of his Archb. now could say nothing against it, but held his peace. MarginaliaThe Earles and Barons refused payment to the Pope.The Earles, Barons, and all the laitie vtterly refused so to bynd their Baronies to the Church of Rome: but the Bishops, Abbots, Priors, wyth other Prelates of the Church, first requiring space and respite to deliberate for 3. or 4. dayes: MarginaliaThe prelates in feare of the popes curse.at length for feare of þ^e Popes curse (although they durst not vtterly withstande) had brought to passe to haue concluded for a somme of money much lesse, had not Stephen Segraue, one of the kynges counsailers, craftily conuēted with the Legate: and by subtile meanes brought it so to passe, that the whole tenthes was gathered and payd, to the inestimable damage (sayeth Parisiens.) both of the Ecclesiasticall and Temporall state. The meanes wherof (sayth the author) was this. The Legate shewyng to the prelates his procuratory letters to collect and gather vp all the foresayd tenthes in the name and autoritie of the Pope, declared moreouer full autoritie to hym graunted by the vertue of his commission, MarginaliaExcommunications abused.to excommunicate all such, and to interdict their Churches, who so euer did gainstand or go contrary to the sayd collection. Wherupon, by the sayd vertue legantine, he sendeth to euery shire his Proctors to gather the Popes money, or els to excommunicate them, which denied to pay: and for so much as the present nede of the Pope required present help without delay, MarginaliaThe popes extortion.he sendeth moreouer to the bishops and prelates of the Realme, in payne of interdiction forthwith to procure and send to hym either of their owne, or by lone, or vsance, or by what meanes so euer, so much money in all post spede, for the present vse of the pope. And after to take vp againe the sayd money of the tenthes of euery singular person, by the right taxyng of their goods. Vpon this, the Prelates to auoyde the daunger (hauyng no other remedy) were driuen to sell theyr chalices, cruets, copes, iewels and other church plate: and some to lay to morgage such things as they had, some also to borow vpon vsance, to make the money which was required. MarginaliaVserers brought into England by the Pope to serue hym with money.Moreouer, the sayd Stephen the Popes chaplaine (as reporteth Paris.) brought wyth hym into England for the same purpose, such bankers and vsurers, who sendyng out their money vpon great vsury, did vnreasonably pinche the English people, which merchaunt vsurers were then called Caursini. Briefly suche straight exaction was then vpon the poore English men, that not onely their present goodes were valued and taxed, but also the corne yet growyng in the field, against the nextMarginaliaCorne vpon the ground tythed to the Pope.
Ranulphus Erle of Chester denyeth to pay the popes tenthes.haruest was tithed, &c. Onely the Earle of Chester named Ranulphus, stood stoutly agaynst the Pope, suffring none within his dominion either lay man or clearke to yelde any tenthes to the Popes proctors. Ex Math. Parisiens. pag. 74. MarginaliaAn. 1229.
The church of Couētry finished.And this was the ende of the strife betwene the Monkes of Canterbury and the kyng for the election of their Archbishop which was about the yeare of our Lord. 1229 In the which yeare was finished the new Churche of Couentry, by Alexander Bishop of the sayd Citie, and partly by the helpe of the kyng: whiche Churche, Richard hys predecessor Bishop before him of Couentry had begonne.

The French men about this tyme agayne prepared themselues toward Prouence, to warre agaynst the foresayd Reimundus Earle of Tholouse, and to expulse hym out of hys possessions. And hearing that he was in his Castle of Saracene, they made thither all their power thinkyng there to enclose and compasse hym about: MarginaliaThe popes frēch army thinking to destroy Reimūde is destroyed by the waybut the erle beyng priuy of their conspired purpose, set for them, by the way, appointing certayne bushmentes in woodes not so secretly, as strongly, there to waite and receaue the commyng of the Frenchmen, and to geue them their welcome. Thus when the French were entred the wood, the Erle with his trayne of well armed and able warriours, sodenly did flie vpon them vnwares, and gaue them a bitter meetyng, so that in that conflict 500. of the French souldiers were taken, and many slayne. Of their seruitures to the number of 2000. men with their armour were taken. Of whom some lost their eyes, some their noses, some their eares, some their legges and so sent home. The rest were caried away prisoners into the castell. MarginaliaThe french men thrise in one sommer ouercome by Reimūd erle of TholouseAnd to be brief saith the history, thrise the same Sommer, were the Frenchmen discomfited, put to flight, taken, and imprisoned by the foresayd Reimundus the godly Erle. Ex Paris. pag. 69. Wherin is to be sene, and to be praysed, the gracious protection of the Lord our God against the furious papistes: which is glorious alwayes in his saintes.

¶ The same yeare, the king beyng at Portesmouth, had assembled together all his nobilitie, Earles Barons, and knightes of England with such an army of horsemen and footemen, as hath not bene lightly sene, MarginaliaThe inconstant loue of Princes toward them that be chiefe aboue them.thinking to recouer agayne the countrey of Normandy, of Gaunt, and other possessions, which king Ihon his father before had lost. But when the Captaines and marshals of the field should take shipping, there were not halfe ships enough to receaue the hoste. Wherupon the king was vehemently inflamed with anger, laying all the fault to Hubert the Lord chiefe Iustice (who vnder the kyng had all the gouernement of the Realme,) calling hym old traytour, charging him that he should be the let of this voiage as he was before, when he toke of the French Queene. 5000. Markes, to stay the kinges iourney into Normandy. In so muche the rage of the kyng was kindled against hym, that drawyng hys sword, he made at him, to runne him through, had not the Erle of Chester Ranulph stopt the king. Hubert withdrew himself away, till þ^e kings rage was past. This was about the time of Michaelmas, at which time arriued Hēry Erle of Normandy in the hauen of Portesmouth in the moneth of October. Who should haue conducted the kyng vpon his allegeaunce and othe into Normandy. But he with other of the Kinges army counsayled the King not to take that viage toward winter, but rather to deffere it to the Easter next followyng: wherwith the king was stayd and well contented, and pacified agayne with Hubert the iustice &c. Ex Mat. Paris.

Fabian recordeth this yere the liberties and franchise of the Citie of London to be confirmed by the kyng, and to euerich of the shriues to be graunted two clerkes, & two officers without mo. Ex Fabia.

MarginaliaAn. 1230.Then followed the yeare. 1230. In which, vppon the day of the conuersion of Saint Paule (as sayth Parisiensis.) as a great multitude of people for solemnitie of the day were congregate in the Temple of Saint Paule: the byshop then beyng at his Masse: a sodaine darkenesse, wyth such thicknesse of cloudes fell in the ayre, that vnneth one man might see an other in the Church. MarginaliaA soden terror amōg the people in Paules church by thūder and lightening.After that, followed crackes of thunder and lightnyng so terrible, leauyng such a sent in the Church: that the people lookyng for doomes day, thought no lesse but that the steeple and whole Church would haue fallen vpon their heads. In so much that they running out of the Church, as people amased, fel downe together by thousands, as men amased: not knowyng for the tyme where they were: onely the Bishop & hys Deacon, stood still at their masse, holding the aulter fast. Ex Parisiens.MarginaliaEx Paris. Pag. 75.

Of the death of Steuen Langhton, & of the troublesome