MarginaliaAn. 1231.
Richard Archb. of Cant.election of the next Archbishop: also of the costly & chargeable bringing in of Richard to succede in the roume, which did cost the whole realme of England the tenthes of all their moueables: sufficient hath bene declared before. This Richard beyng now confirmed in his seat, MarginaliaThe complaint of Rich. Archb. of Cant. against Hubert Lord chiefe iustice.came to the kyng complainyng of Hubert the Lord chiefe iustice, oft mentioned before, for withholdyng from hym the castle & towne of Tunebryge with the appurtenaunce to the same belongyng, and other landes of the Earle of Clare late deceased: which landes apperteined to the right of his seate, and to þ^e church of Cant. for the which the sayd Erle with his aunciters were bound to do homage to him and to his predecessors: and therfore required the kepyng of the foresaid castle with the demaynes therof to be restored vnto him. MarginaliaThe kynges answere to Richard the Archb.To this the king aunswered agayne, that the sayd Erle did hold of hym in Capite, and that the Castles beyng vacaunt of Erles and Barons with their heyres, did belong to hys crowne, till the lawfull age of the sayd heires. The Archbishop when he could get no other aunswer of the kyng, MarginaliaExcommunication abused.did excommunicate all such as inuaded the foresaid possessions wyth all other that tooke their part, the kyng onely excepted. Which done, eftsones speedeth hymselfe to Rome, there to prosecute hys sute before the Pope. The king hearyng therof, not long after sendeth vp maister Roger Cantelu with certaine other messengers to Rome agaynst the Archbishop.

MarginaliaRichard the Archb. complayneth to the pope of hys king, and of other matters moe.Thus Richard the Archb. comming before the Popes presence, beginneth first to complayne of his king, for that he committed all the affayres of the realme to the dispositiō and gouernmēt of Hubert hys iustice, vsing only his counsaile, all hys other nobles despised.

Against the saiyd iustice moreouer he complained, laying to his charge: First that he had maried a wife, beyng the kinswoman of her whom he had maried before: also that the sayd Hubert the iustice did inuade, hold and wrongfully deteine such possessions as belonged to the see & church of Canterbury.

¶ As touching the wyfe of this Hubert, here is to be noted that he maried the elder sister of the king of Scottes, which semeth could be of no great kinne of her whom he maried before.

Farther, he complayned of certayne bishops hys suffraganes, who neglecting their pastorall function, did sit on Checker matters belonging to the kyng, and exercised sessions and iudgements of bloud.

MarginaliaPluralitie of benefices complayned of by the Archb. 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 takyng example of the bishops, did intermedle in secular matters, and in iudgements of lay men.

Of these and such other defaultes, he required redresse to be had. The Pope weying and considering the cause of the Archbishop to stande vpon right and reason (at least wyse semyng so to hys purpose) commaunded incontinent hys petitions and requestes to be dispatched accordyng to iustice.

MarginaliaThe kinges attournies coulde not speede wyth the Pope.Agaynst these complaynts 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 found the archbishop in the Popes sight, beyng (as the story reporteth) of a comely personage, & of an eloquent tonge, MarginaliaRespect of persō doth much wyth the Pope.that he obteyned whatsoeuer he asked. Thus the Archbishop with all fauourable speede being dispatched at Rome, after his own will and desire, returned homeward: MarginaliaRich. the Archb. in his iourney from Rome, dyeth.who in hys iorney wythin iij. dayes of his setting forth, departed in the house of the gray friers at S. Gemmes, and so his cause departed wyth hym: who winnyng hys sute, lost hys life for whom it had bene better I suppose to haue taryed at home. And here of him an ende, with all his complayntes also. Ex Parisiens.

After the death of this Richard, the monkes of Cant. (according to the maner) addresse themselues to a new election: MarginaliaRaffe Neuill B. of Chichester elected Archb. of Cant.at which was chosen Radulf Neuill, Byshop of Chicester, who was the kynges Chauncelor, much commended in stories, to be a man faythfull, vpright, and constant: which from the way of iustice declined neyther to the right hand nor to the left. But vpright and sincere both in word and deede. This Rauffe (thus chosen of the monks) was presented to the kyng to be their Archbyshop, wherewyth the kyng was right well contented, and glad also of thys election: MarginaliaThe king inuesteth the Archb. of Cant.
Ex Math. Paris.and forthwith inuested hym for Archbyshop of the Church of Cant. But this inuesting of the kyng was not inough, vnles he should also be confirmed by the Pope. Wherfore, the mōkes ready to take their iorney vnto Rome, came to the new archbyshop: requiring his helpe for their expenses by the way, and to know what seruice he would commaunde them to the court of Rome. MarginaliaA rare example of a good Archb.But he fearing in hys mynde the same not to be without some scruple of simony and ambitiō, sayd he would not geue an half-peny, and holding vp his hands to heauen thus prayed, saying: MarginaliaThe prayer of the Archb. elect.O Lord God, if I shalbe thought worthy to be called (although in dede vnworthy) to the seat and office of thys church: so be it as thou shalt dispose it. But if otherwise, in this troublesome office of Chauncery, and this my inferior ministery, wherunto I haue bene 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 man, notwithstanding they had of him no mony yet refused not their trauail and iorney to Rome, to haue their election cōfirmed, by the Popes autoritie. The Pope inquiryng of Simon Langhton (brother of Stepen Langhton Archb. of Cant. before mētioned) of the person of this mā: MarginaliaSimō Lāghtō archb. of Yorke, a malicious backbiter, of Radulfus Archbysh. electe.it was reported againe to him by the said Simon (malitiously deprauyng the good man behynd his backe) declaring to the Pope, þ^t he was a courtier, vnlearned, hasty and feruent in hys doynges, and such one: who if he should be promoted to that dignitie, would go about with the helpe of the kyng, and of the whole realme, to remoue and bryng the realm 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 which king Ihon had once subiected himselfe and hys realme, at what tyme he yelded his crowne to the hands of Pandulfus the Legate &c. With these & such others wordes, Simon Langhton falsly and malitiously depraued þ^e godly bishop. MarginaliaThe rashe iudgemēt of the popeThe pope hearyng with one eare, & crediting what he heard, without farther inquisitiō made of the other partie accused: sendeth incontinent to the monkes of Cant. to procede in a new election, and to chuse to thē another Archbishop, such as were an wholesome pastor of soules, profitable to the church of England, and deuout to the church of Rome. MarginaliaThe election of Radulfe Archb. elect defeited by the Pope.And thus was the lawfull election of this good Archb. made frustrate, to good peraduenture to serue in that place, wherunto he was elected. MarginaliaIohn Archb. of Cant. elected & refused of the PopeAfter the repulse of this Radulphe, the Canterbury monkes entryng a new election, agreed vpon Ihon their Prior, to be their Metropolitane. Who goyng vp to Rome to haue his election confirmed by the Pope, was 3. dayes together examined of the Cardinals. And when they could find no insufficiencie in hym, touching those things, wherin they tried hym: yet notwithstanding, the Pope findyng a fault with his age (he peraduenture being more aged him selfe) repealed him, for that he sayd, he was to old and simple, to susteine that dignitie. Ex Paris.

¶ What was the age of this person I find it not in the author expressed: yet it is to be supposed, that he which was able to take that iorney to Rome, and home agayne: was not so greatly to be complayned of for hys age, but that he was able sufficiently to take paines in kepyng the chaire of Canterbury.

In the former partes of this story procedyng, partly before hath bene declared, partly hereafter more shall appeare (Christ willing) how the Church of England & commons of the same was greued and miserably afflicted, by the intolerable oppressions of the Pope: MarginaliaThe Popes intollerable exactions vpon England.who through his violent extortion had procured the best benefices to be geuen to his Romanes and the chief fruites of them to be reserued to his owne cofers. And what complaintes therof haue bene made, ye heard before, pag. 270. But yet no redresse could be had. Such was the insatiable auarice of these Romanes rakehels, proyling and polling wheresoeuer they came, with their prouisions and exactiōs out of measure, and neuer satisfied. In somuch, that here in Englād whosoeuer lackte: their barnes were alwayes full of corne: and what penurie so euer pinshed the people, they were sure to haue inoughe. And these importunate exactiōs and contributions of these Italian harpyes: beside the Peterpence, beside the commō tribute, dayly more & more increased, to the great greuaūce of the Realme: in somuch that the wealth of this land was almost cleane suckt vp, & translated to the Court of Rome. Neither was the kyng ignoraūt hereof, but could not helpe the matter. Wherfore it was deuised by some of the nobles (as appeareth in the story of Parisiensis) MarginaliaEx Math. Paris. Pag. 79.this foresayd yeare. an. 1231. that certaine letters vnder the pretensed colour of the kyngs authoritie, should be sent abroad: willyng & commaundyng, that such corne and grayne, & other reuenewes, as were taken vp for the Pope, should be stayd and forth commyng, by a certain day in the sayd letters appointed, MarginaliaHubert lord chiefe iustice a worker against the Pope.the which letters are thought to procede chiefly by the meanes of Hubert Lord chief Iustice of England, who then next vnder the kyng, ruled the most affaires of the Realme. The wordes and contentes of the letters be these.