lesse now the fift part should be exacted of them, because an action twise done maketh a custome. Item, seyng they had oftymes to repayre to the Court of Rome, if they should giue this money agaynst the Emperour, it would turne to their daūger commyng through his land. Item, seyng their kyng had many enemyes, 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 notwithstanding, they were compelled at length to conforme themselues to the Popes good pleasure, through the example giuen of Edmūd Archbyshop of Cāterbury who to obteyne his purpose agaynst the Monkes of Canterbury (with whom he was then in strife) began first to yeld to the Legates viij. hundreth Markes for his part. Whereby the rest also were fayne to follow after. Ex Mat. Parisiens. fol. 132. 136.

MarginaliaThre C. childrē 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 agaynst Friderike the Emperour, looke what benefices were to be giuen in Englād, the same should be at their arbitrement to be bestowed vpon their children. Wherupon commaūdement was sent to the foresayd Edmund Archbishop, to the Bishops of Lyncolne and Sarum, that all collations of benefices within the realme should be suspended, till prouision were made for iij. hūdreth children of the Citizēs of Rome, to be first serued. MarginaliaEdmunde Archb. of Cant. departed the realme, & dyed in exile..Vpō the which so miserable request þ^e sayd Edmund Archbyshop of Cant.erbury for sorow to see the Church so oppressed, departed the Realme, and so continued in Fraunce & dyed at Pontinia. Ex Mat. Parisiens. fol. 134. b. Which Edmund was afterward made a Sainte, and canonised by Pope Innocent 4.

MarginaliaThree thousand poūdes to the popes bie.This done, then went Petrus Rubeus the popes nūcio, and Ruffinus into Scotlād, from whence they brought with them iij. thousand poundes, to the Popes vse, about allhallowtyde the same yeare. At which tyme moreouer cōmeth an other harpax from the Pope to England named Mumelius,MarginaliaRomanynes 14. brought to Englād to be beneficed.bringyng with him xxiiij. Romanes here into the Realme to be beneficed. Thus, what by the kyng on the one side, and what by Cardinall Otho, Petrus Rubeus, Ruffinus, and Mumelius on the other side, poore Englād was in a wretched case. Mat. Parisiens. fol. 137.

An other prety practise of the Pope to prole for money, was this. The foresayd Petrus Rubeus cōmyng into religious houses and into their Chapters, caused them to cōtribute to the Popes holynes, by the example of this Byshop and that Abbot, pretēdyng that he and he of their own voluntary deuotiō had giuē so much & so much, & so seduced them. Paris. fol. 134: MarginaliaThe Pope for money releaseth Christians of their vow.Also the pope craftely suborned certein Friers, authorised with full indulgence, that who soeuer had vowed to fight in the holy land, and was disposed to be released of his vow, needed not to repayre to Rome for absolution, but paying so much money as his charges would come to goyng thether, he resortyng to the sayd Friers might be assoyled at home.

MarginaliaMumelius an other messenger of the Pope. The next yeare folowyng, which was. 1241. came a commaundement Apostolicall to the house of Peterborow, that they at the Popes contemplation must needes graunt him some benefice lying in their donation, the fruits wherof at least beyng worth an hundreth poundes, and if it were more it should be the better welcome, so that they should be as the fermers, and he to receaue the profites. In fine, the Conuent, excused themselues by the Abbat, beyng then not at home. MarginaliaAn Execrable exaction of the pope vpon the house of Peterbrough.The Abbat when he came home excused him selfe by the kyng, being the patrone & founder of the house. The kyng agreeued with the vnreasonable rauenyng of these Romanistes, vtterly forbad any such example to be giuē. Ex Parisiens. fol. 143. But what happened? MarginaliaAbbot of Peterborough thrust out of the Popes court.The Abbat beyng therfore accused to the Pope by one of the Legates, and commyng vp about foure yeares after in the tyme of Pope Innocent, to the Councell of Lyons, was so rated and reuiled, and so shamefully thrust out of the popes Court, that for sorrow he fell sicke vppon the same, and there dyed. Parisiens. fol. 184.

MarginaliaThe obligatiō of kyng Iohns tribute to the Pope, burned.In the tyme of which Councell of Lyons, Pope Innocent 4. (for somuch as the instrument or obligatiō, wherby the Realme of England stode tributary to the pope, was thought to be burned in the Popes chamber a litle before) brought forth either the same, or another charte lyke vnto it, whereunto he straitly charged & commaunded euery English Byshop beyng there present at the Councell seuerally to set to his hand & seale. Which vnreasonable petitiō of þ^e pope, albeit it went sore agaynst þ^e hartes of þ^e byshops, MarginaliaThe bishops of England put their handes and seales to the popes bill.yet (see in what miserable subiection the Pope had all the byshops vnder him) none of them durst otherwise do but accomplish the Popes request therin, both to their owne shame, & preiudice to the publicke freedome of the Realme. Amongest which Byshops, the longest that held out, and last that put to his seale was the Bishop of London. Which Acte when the king and the nobilitie vnderstode, they were mightely, and worthely therwith all offended. Ex Parisiens. fol. 192. an. 1245.

MarginaliaPetrus Rubeus, Petrus de Supino the Popes collectors in England.After what tyme Cardinal Otho was sent for by pope Gregory in all hast to come to the generall Councell, ij. other in his rowme here remained, whose names were Petrus Rubeus, and Petrus de Supino. Of whom the one bearyng himselfe for the Popes kinsman, brought out his Billes and Bulles vnder the Popes authoritie, to such an Abbat or to such a Prior, or to such and such a Byshop, and so extorted from them a great quantitie of gold and siluer. MarginaliaA thousand & fiue hundreth markes brought out of Ireland for the Pope.The other, to wyt, Petrus de Supino sayled to Ireland, from whence he brought with him a thousand and fiue hūdreth Markes to þ^e popes vse. an. 1241. Ex Par. fol. 147. b. All which money notwithstādyng gotten by both þ^e collectors, in þ^e cariage vp to Rome, about the death of pope Gregory, happened into the handes of Fridericke the Emperour, who caused it agayne to be restored as neare as he could, to them of whom it was taken. Parisiens. fol. 151.

MarginaliaM. Martinus an other messenger for the Popes money, an. 1244.After these, came in then M. Martinus a new Marchaunt from the new pope Innocent the fourth. an. 1244. armed with full power to suspend all Prelates in Englād from giuyng benefices, till the popes kinsmē were first preferred. Neither would he take the fruites of any benefice, vnless it were aboue the value of xxx. Markes. At his first commyng he required of prelates, and especially of religious houses to furnish him with horses & palfreys, such as were conuenient for the popes especiall Chaplein and Legate to sit vpon. MarginaliaExtortion of the Popes Legate vpon the clergie of England.Also with plate, rayment, prouision for his kitchyng and celler &c. and such as denyed or excused, he suspēded, as the Abbat of Malmesbury, and the Prior of Merton. All prebēdes that were voyde he sought outo and reserued them for the popes behoufe. Among which was the golden prebend of Sarum, belongyng to the Chauncellour of the Queere, whom he preferred to the Byshoprike of Bathe, and so sensed vpon the prebend beyng voyde, against the willes both of the Byshop and the Chapter. Paris. fol. 167. 180. Moreouer he brought with him blankes in paper and parchmēt signed in the popes chamber with his stampe and seale, wherin he might afterward write to whom, and what he would. Parisiens. fol 178. b. MarginaliaContribution of x. M. markes to the Pope.requiring furthermore of the kyng in the Popes behalfe, to helpe his holynes with a contribution to be taxed amongest his Clergy, at lest of x. thousand Markes ibid. MarginaliaThe Pope craftely holdeth wyth the king, that the king might hold with hym.And to the end that the Pope might wynne the kyng sooner to his deuotion, he writeth in the kynges behoufe to the nobles and commons of the Realme, that they should not fayle, vpon payne of his great curse, to conferre, such subsidie of money to the subuention of the kyng, as then had demaunded of them, but they stode stiffe in not graunting to him.

While the insatiable auarice of the Pope thus made no end in gathering riches and goodes together in England, the nobles and Barons, with the community as well of the Clergy as the laitie, weying the miserable state of the Realme, and namely of the Church, which now neither had libertie left them to chuse their owne ministers, nor yet could enioy their own liuynges, layd their heades together, MarginaliaIntimation geuē to the king, touching the importable oppression of the realme by the Pope.and so exhibited an earnest intimatiō to the kyng, beseching him to consider the pitifull affliction and oppression of his subiectes vnder the Popes extorsion, liuyng in more thraldome, then euer did the people of Israell, vnder Pharao. Wherupon the kyng begynnyng at last to looke vp, & to consider the iniuries and wronges reacued in his Realme through the auarice of the Court of Rome, directeth to pope Innocent 4. this letter in tenour as foloweth.

MarginaliaK. Henries letter to the Pope.SAnctis. in Christo pat. ac Domino Innocentio Dei gratia summo pontifici, Henr. eadem gratia Rex Angliæ. &c. Salutem & pedum oscula beatorum. &c. To the most holy father in Christ and Lord, Innocent by the grace of God chief bishop, Henry by the same grace, king of England &c. greetyng and MarginaliaThe king offereth to kisse the Popes feete.kissinges of his blessed feete. The more deuout & obsequious the sonne sheweth hymselfe in obeying the fathers will, the more fauour and supportation doth he deserue to finde at his fathers handes agayne. This therfore I write, for that where as both we and our realme haue euer and in all thinges bene hitherto at the deuotion and commaundement of your fatherhoode, and that although in some certein affayres of ours and of our kyngdom, we haue found your fatherly fauor and grace somtymes propice vnto vs: yet in some thinges agayne, as in prouisions giuen & graunted to your Cclerkes of foreine nations, both we & our