an euill example was geuen. Also he complayned of new taxes of pensions, newly layd on the churches, of inmesurable bondages, exactions, and diuers extortions, wyth other preiudiciall and hurtfull nouelties, by which the generall state of the Church is chaunged: in geuyng suffraganes, as helpers to the higher prelates, whereby neyther the Byshops themselues nor the suffraganes can doe theyr dueties, but for them they might runne with giftes to the Apostolicall see. He complayned also of diuers causes and some articles long since, but true in the time that they wer presented, that were done and be done continually: and also not purposing to suffer so great a disherityng of hym & hys successours, from the realme and so manifest a griefe, they coulde not suffer any longer the euident losse of the honour of hym and the realme, and sayd: that he was certayne, that it was knowen to the whole world, and that he did maintayne in this matter a iust cause as he had learned by the agreable sentence of doctors in Diuinitie and maisters of both Lawes, that were borne within hys realme & others, which among the Doctors and cunnyng men of the world were counted of the learned sort and more famous. Therfore he required vs, all and euery one, both prelates, and Barons, and other, earnestly as our Lord: he prayed & gently begged as a frende: to consult and take diligent payne, that he might ordeyne wholesome things, both for the kepyng of their old libertie, the honour and state of the realme and of the inhabitauntes therof, for the easing of the griefes aforesayd, for redressing of the realme and the French Church, by our counsayle and hys Barones to the prayse of Gods name, the encrease of the Catholike fayth, the honour of the vniuersall church, & promoting of Gods religion: specially seing such griefes were done by his officers and others of the realme, to the churches and churchmen, for the which he purposed a remedy of wholesome correction, afore the comming of the foresayd Cardinall, & would now haue put it in execution effectually, but that he might be thought to some, to haue done that for feare, or at your commaundement, which thing ye cannot ascribe to your selfe. Furthermore, he would spend not onely his goods, but also his realme, yea his childrē, if the case required: and therfore we should regard to be ready with coūsell and helpe in season as we are bound by the duety of fidelitie in these thinges: wherein it is manifest, that as all & euery mannes case is handled, generally and particularlye their cause is promoted, and euery mannes owne interest is touched. And than he demaūded by and by to be answered plainly and finally in these things, of all and euery one.

Then the Barons sitting aside with the officers & Proctors aforesayd, at the length after they had taken counsell, comming to our foresayd lord the king, and praysing greatly and hartely thanking hym for hys laudable purpose and good will, answered with one voyce: that for those thyngs they were redy, not only to spend their goodes, but offered the same goods, riches, and also their persons to death, and not to flee any kind of torment: And sayd further with one voyce, that if our foresayd Lord the kyng would (as God forbid) suffer, or els willingly passe ouer those, they them selues woulde in no case suffer it.

Then whē answer was asked of vs afterward, although we desired longer respite of deliberation of the kyng hymselfe our Lord, and of the greatest of the foresayd Barons, and that for this intent: that in the meane whyle the popes letters might haue comen to our Lord the kyng, we answered that we would not offende agaynst the liberty of the realme, or by some meanes to innouate thinges contrary to the kings honour in this behalfe.

We went about also to informe him with many godly wordes with earnest persuasions, and many kindes of helpe, and by sundry wayes, to bring hym to kepe the speciall bād of vnitie, which is knowen to haue continued to these present dayes, betwixt the holy Romish Church, and hys precesssours. But when we were denied any longer delay, and it was plainly and openly told to all men, that if any man were of a contrary mynd, frō thenceforth he should be manifestly counted for an enemy of the kyng and the Realme: We considering warely, and seeyng plainely, that except our Lord the king, and the Barons aforesayd were content wyth our aunswere, beside other daungers and great offences, (whereof ther could neithor be number nor end) and that the deuotion both of the Romishe and Frēch Church, and also the whole obedience of the laitie and all the people from thence forth should be taken away without recouery, not without great feare and doubt we thought good to aunswer thus.

That we would helpe our Lord the king with due coū-saile and conuenient helpe for the preseruyng of his person & of his earthly honour, and the libertie & lawes of the said realme, like as we were (certayne of vs) by the dutie of allegiaunce bound to hym, which holde of him Dukedomes, Earldomes, Baronies, fees, and other noble partes of the sayd realme, by the fourme of the othe, as all other doe: yet we made humble sute to the same our Lord the kyng, that seeing we were bound to obey the Popes holynes and your holy feete, he would suffer vs to goe according to the tenour of your foresayd calling.

Then on the kings and Barons behalfe followed aunswere, that in no case they would suffer vs to go out of the realme: & that by no meanes they would beare to be hādled so daungerously, yea rather to be altogether wasted.

Then we consideryng so great an anger, and trouble so ieopardous, and so great that none could be greater, both of the kyng, the Barons and other lay people of the Realme: and now knowyng playnly, that the olde enemy of peace, which goeth about from the beginnyng of hys fall, wyth sowyng of Darnell, to breake the vnitie of the Church, by troublyng of peace: would breake charity, and infect the sweetenes of good workes, wyth the poyson of bitter enuy, and would ouerthrow mankynd vtterly, & would trouble with wickednesse the band of louely vnity, and singular frendship, which hitherto haue had a happy encease betwixt the Romish Church and our Lord the kyng, and hys predecessours, and the realm: to the prayse of the highest God, the encrease of Christian fayth, and the settyng forth the honour of the Church, of the kyng and the realm. But now (alas) a doore was open to the lamentable breakyng and pitifull seperatyng of great offences to ryse on euery side, daungers are attempted agaynst Churches and Churchmen, to spoyle their goodes and riches, with ieopardy of lyfe: seyng that the laitie now do abhorre & vtterly fle the obedience of clerkes, vtterly banishing them from the counsayles and doyngs, and haue taken courage to condemn the Ecclesiasticall censure and processe. All which ieopardies wyth other sundry and diuers daungers (which neither toung is able to tell, nor writyng can declare) we seyng at hande: thought good in this poynt of greatest necessity to runne with weping voyce, and lamentable sighes to the circumspect wisdome of your holynesse. Beseechyng your fatherly mildenes, and humbly praying you: that some wholsome remedy may be prouided in the premisses. By which, the sounde profitable agreement and mutuall loue, which hath continued so long a tyme betwixt the church, the kyng, and the realme, might be maintayned in that old swete cōcord: the state of the French church might cōtinue in godly and quiet peace: that ye would vouchsafe to foresee how to withstand the daungers and offences aforesayd: that we and our states may be prouided for, by the foresayd cōmaūdement of your callyng, by the study of your Apostolicall wisdome, and fatherly loue. The almighty preserue your holinesse to hys holy church a long tyme.

Marginalia1304.
Pope Boniface besieged.These thinges thus discoursed and done, then followed the yeare of our Lord. 1304. In the which yeare about the natiuity of our Lady, came a garison of harnessed soldiours well appointed, sent partly by the French king, partly by þ^e Cardinalles of Columpna, whom the Pope before had deposed, vnto the gates of Anragū, where the Pope did hide him selfe, because he was borne in the towne. The captains of which army was one Schaira brother to the foresayde Cardinalles: And an other William de Longareto, highe steward to the French king. Who inuading the popes town, and finding the gates open, gaue assault to the popes frontyre: where the pope with hys nephew a Marques, and .3. other Cardinalles were immured. The townes men seeing all their intent and strength to be bent against the pope: caused the common bell to be rong and so assembling them selues in a common counsayle, ordeyned Adulphus, one of the chiefest rulers of the towne for their captaine, who (vnknowing to them) was a great aduersary to the pope. This Adulphus bringing with him Reginaldus de Supine a greate Lord in Campania, and the two sonnes of Ihon Chitan a noble man, whose father the Pope had then in prison: at length ioyned hym with the French companye against the pope, and so beset hys palace on euery side. And first, settinge vpon the palacies of the three Cardinalles which were thē chief about the pope, rifled and spoyled all their goodes. The Cardinalles, by a backdoore hardly auoyded their handes: but the popes palace, through munition and strength of the Marques was something better defended. At length, the Pope perceauynge hym selfe not able to make hys partye good, desired truce with Schaira and his companye, which was to hym graunted, from one, tyll nyne. Durynge which