visiter of the houses of the order of knightes of the temple of S. Iohn in Ierusalem in Fraūce, and the father Prior of S. Martin in the fieldes, hearyng these thinges which were sayd, propounded, and obiected yesterday, and to day, by you the Lordes, Erles, and William aforesayd, agaynst the Lord Boniface the 8. and Pope, beyng mooued with such sayings, purposes, assertatiōs, and your othes, your request and other lawfull causes: and were compelled by nede, consideryng that the matter of our fayth which is Christes, is handled in the premisses. We that be called to part of this care, to the defence and maintenaunce of the fayth and soules of the realme, although vnworthy, yet coueting to withstand the ieoperdies that hang ouer vs by reason of the premisses and other causes, thinkyng the callyng and gatheryng of the sayd Councell profitable and necessary, that the innocency of the Lord Boniface hymselfe may clearely be discussed, as we desire (our consciences bearyng witnesse) that it may be determined on hym by the Councell, touchyng such thinges as are layd agaynst hym, and that may be done which they decree accordyng to the Canons. We aunswere you our Lord kyng, and you our Lordes, Erles, and William, that (the honour and reuerence of the holy Romish church salued in all poyntes) we agree to your due requestes in thys behalfe for the callyng of the Councell, and are redy to geue helpe and diligent labour to the callyng and gathering of the sayd Coūcell, accordyng to the decrees of þ^e holy fathers, and to the lawfull orders of the Canons: not intendyng by any meanes, to make parties of this matter, nor to sticke to any that maketh parties. Yet lest the sayd Boniface beyng moued or prouoked by these things, as we feare by likely coniectures and threatnings made, agaynst vs for the foresayd thynges, that he will procede agaynst our parish churches and our subiects by some meanes, or cause to procede against vs by some authoritie of his owne or others by excommunication, suspensiō, interditing, deposing, depriuing, or by some other meanes and colour sought to some impeachement or trouble of the sayd Councell, MarginaliaThe bishops of Fraunce appeale frō pope Boniface to a generall councelland that we may sit in þ^e same Councell to iudge and do all other thinges, that belong to the office of Prelates: that our frendes that sticke to vs and would sticke to vs in all thinges may remayne safe, for our selues, our parish Churches, our subiectes and them that sticke to vs, or would sticke to vs, in this behalfe: we prouoke and appeale in writing to the foresayd Councell, that is to be gathered, and to him that shall be the true and lawfull highest Bishop, and to him or them to whom of right we should appeale to, and earnestly require our appellations, committing vs, our parishe churches, oure subiectes, frendes, and them that sticke to vs, our state and theirs, our right and their goods, to the godly defence of the foresayde coūcel, & of him that shalbe the true and lawfull highest bishop: and we protest to renew this appellation, where, when, and afore whom, it shall be thought meete.

This was done at Paris at Lupara in the chamber of the sayd Lord our king, Indictione prima the 9. yeare of hys Popedome, the dayes of thursday and friday aforesaid these noble men being present the Lordes of Auia and Bolone the Lordes Martins and other earles named afore, Mathew Dotera, Peter the Lord chamberlate, Philip þ^e Lord of Wirtmes, and Henry of Bolone knight and also master Philip archdeacon of Bengem, Nicholas archdeacon Remem, William treasurer of Anioye, Philip Beaspere, Rainolde of Burbon and Ihon Montagre, & many moe bothe clerkes and other specially required and called to be witnes to this.

After these thinges thus in the Parliament decreed & agreed, the prelates of the clergie consulting with them selues what was to be done in so doubtfull a matter: and dreding the popes displeasure, for this which was done alredy, to cleare them selues in the matter contriued among them selues a letter to the Pope partly to certify him, what there was done, and partly also to admonish him what he shoulde doe: the tenour of which their letter conteined these wordes following.

☞ To the most holy Father and their dearest beloued Lord, the Lord Boniface the chiefe Bishop of the holy Romishe church and the vniuersall church: his humble and deuout Archbishops, Abbotes, Priors, Conuentuals, Deaues, Prouostes, Chapters, Couentes and Colledges of the Cathedrall and collegiate churches, regular and secular of all the realme of Fraunce, beyng gathered together, do offer most deuout kissinges of your blessed feete.

MarginaliaThe letter of the French prelates to pope Boniface.WE are compelled not without sorow of hart and bitter teares to signifie vnto your holinesse, that the most famous prince our most deare Lord Phillip, by the grace of God, the noble kyng of France: when he heard and saw the Apostolicall letters sealed, which were sent to hym of late, from your behalfe by the worshipfull man the Cardinall of Narbo your Notarie and messenger, and were presented by the same Cardinall to hym, and certayne other of his barons. Vpon the sight and perusing of which so bloudy letters beyng read and declared to them sitting by hym: both our Lord the kyng and the barons themselues were highly moued with great maruelyng and great trouble. In so much, that the sayd our Lord the kyng by the aduice of hys barōs, commaunded to be called afore hym the other barons then absent, and vs also that is to wete: all Archbishops, bishops, Abbots, Priors, conuentuals, deanes, prouosts, chapters, conuentes and Colledges as well of Cathedrall as collegiate churches, regular and secular, and also all the vniuersities & communalties of the townes of hys realme: that we Prelates, Barons, Deanes, Prouostes, and two of the learnedst of euery collegiate and cathedral church, should appeare personally, and should procure, the rest likewyse to appeare, by their steward, officers and sufficient proctors, with full and sufficient commission at the appoynted place & terme. Further, when we and the other Ecclesiasticall persons aforesayd, and also the barons, stewards, officers, and proctours, & other of the cōmunaltie of the townes that were thus cald: and when accordyng to the forme of the foresayd callyng by the kings commaundement, we stode afore the king this wedensday, the tenth of this present of Aprill, in S. Maries church in Paris: Our Lord the kyng caused to be propounded openly and plainly to all men, that it was signified to hym, from you among other things by the foresayd Cardinall and letters: that for his kingdome (which he and hys aūcetors hitherto do acknowledge they hold of God only) now ought in temporalties to be subiect to you and hold of you, and that ye were not content with these so meruelous and straunge wordes, and not heard of from the beginnyng of the world of any dwellers within the same realme, but that ye went about to put thē in practise. And that ye cald to appeare afore you, the prelates of the sayd realme, & doctors of diuinitie, & such professours of both lawes, as were borne within the said realme, for the correcting and amending of such excesses, fauts, arrogācies, wrongs, & harmes, as ye pretend to be done to the ecclesiasticall Prelates and persōs ecclesiasticall both regular & secular, abidyng within the realme & els where, by our lord the king himself & his officers or baylifs, by his peeres, erles, barons and other nobles, with the communaltie and people of the sayde Realme: To the intent by this meanes, the foresayd realme might be made strong, with pretious iuels & durable treasures, which are to be preferred before the bucklers or any armour of strong men, that is to say, by the wysedome of Prelates, and wise men, and others: throughe whose ripe faythfull counsell, and circumspect foresight, the realme might be ruled and gouerned, that faith might be stablished, the ecclesiastical Sacramentes might be ministred, iustice might be exectued: which by them being robbed of their goods and riches and vtterly spoyled, is a doubtful case and in ieopardy of miserable decay and for euer to be destroyed. Among these and diuers other griefes which were done by you and the Romishe church, to him, to his realme and the Frenche church, both in reseruing and wilfull ordering of Archbishoprickes, Bishoprickes, andbestowing of great benefices of the Realme vpon strange and vnknowen persons, yea and oft vpon suspect persons, neuer being at the churches or benefices aforesayd. By reason wherof, the decay of gods worship ensued, the godly wils of the founders and geuers are defrauded of their godly purpose: the accustomed almes geuing is withdrawn frō the poore of the sayd realm, the pouerishing of the realme followeth, and churches run in dāger to be defaced, while they remaine destitute of seruice: the Prophets being taken away, and the fruites of thē, that serue them, be appointed to the commoditie of straungers. And while prelates haue not to geue, yea to reward men for their desertes: noble men (whose auncetors founded the Churches) and other learned mē, cānot haue seruauntes: and that for these causes, deuotion began to be colde, there was none at these dayes that wold stretch out a liberal hād towardes the Churches, & farthermore by the premisses an