say, O daughter, the deedes of him that is called thy father, such as haue not bene heard of before: he driueth away the good shepeheard from the shepefold, and placeth in their stead Byshops, to rule, but not to profite (his nephewes, cosines, and parentes) seme that know no letters, and other some dum & deafe, which vnderstand not the playne voyce of the sheepe, nor curyng their woundes that be hurt of the Wolues: but like hyrelinges pluckyng of the fleeses a pase, and reaping that which other men haue sowen, whose hāds moreouer be alwayes ready in their baskets and powches, but their backes are turned frō their burdēs. By which thynges it is manifest, that the Priesthode is cleane chaūged at these dayes, the seruice of God decayed, almes diminished and brought to nought, the whole deuotion of kyngs, princes, and Christians is banished. May not this be thought wonderfull in the eyes of all men, that where as Christ cōmaunded tribute to be payed to kynges for him and for Peter, he now goeth about dominion of his stile, to subdue to hym, both Realmes and princes of realmes (agaynst his wil, whose Vicare he sayth he is, and who refused the Realmes and iudgementes of the world) which this Byshop contrarywise chalengeth, clayming all that which he in his style writeth to be his. Alacke, O daughter, what doth he yet more agaynst thee: marke, he draweth from thee what soeuer pleaseth him, and yet he thinketh not himselfe content, to haue the tenth part onely of thy goods from thee: except he haue also the first fruites of the benefices of the Ministers, whereby he may get a new patrimonie aswell for him selfe as for his kynred, contrary to the godly wills of the first founders. Ouer and beside all this, he inferreth other execrable taxes and stipends for his Legates and messengers, whom he sendeth into Englād, which not onely take away the feedyng and clothyng of thee and thyne, but also teare in peeces like dogs your flesh & skinnes. May not this prince be compared to kyng Nabugodonoser, which destroyed the temple of the Lord, and robbed away the siluer and golden vessels therof? The very same doth this man also: he robbed the ministers of GOD his house, and left destitute of due helpe. In like maner doth he: Truly they be better that are killed with the sword, then they which be pined with hunger: for they are dead straight, but these are wasted with the barrennes of the earth. O daughter, all they that passe by the way, let them haue pity and compassion on thee, for there is no sorrow like thy sorrow. For now thy face is blacker then coales through much sorrow and weepyng, and thou art no more knowen in the streetes: thy foresayd ruler hath placed thee in darknes, and hath geuen thee wormewood and gall to drinke. O Lorde heare the sorrow and sighynges of thy people, behold Lord, and discende, for the hart of this foresayd man is more indurate, then the hart of Pharao. For he will not suffer thy people to depart, except in the fortitude onely of thy hand. For he scourgeth them, not onely miserably vpon the earth, but also after their death he intendeth to incroche the goods of all Christians vnder the name and title to dye intestate or making no wil. Therefore let the chiualry of England well remember, how the Frenchmen in tymes past, drectyng their greedy eyes on the Realme of England, laboured with all their power how to bryng the same vnder their subiection. But it is to be feared, least the new deuises and practise of this new enemy, supply that which hetherto hath bene lacking in them. For in diminishyng of the treasure of the realme, and spoyling the churches goodes: the Realme shalbe brought into such inabilitie, that it shall not be able to helpe it selfe against the enemy. Therfore O daughter, & you the ministers therof, suffer not your selues to be led any more into such miserable bondage. Better it is for the wealth of thee and thyne, that the Christian kyng and the powers of the Realme which haue indued thee with great benefites, and you also which are indued with their benefites, do labour with all your power how to resist the deuises, conspiracies, arrogancie, presumption, and pride of the foresaid person: who not for any zeale of God, but for the enrichyng of his parentes and for hys owne kynred (exaltyng himselfe like an Eagle) by these and such other exactions goeth about after a new kynde of extortion to scrape vp and deuour all the money and treasure of England. Now least the dissembled simplicitie of the realme in this behalfe do bryng vtter subuertion, and afterward be compelled to seeke remedy when it is to late: I besech the Lord God of hostes to turne away the vale fr! the hart of that man, and to geue him a contrite and an humble mynde, in such sort as he may acknowledge the wayes of the true God, whereby he may be brought out of darcknes, and be enforced to relinquish his old sinister attemptes: and that the vyneard which the Lordes hand hath planted, may be replenished continually with true preachers of the word. Let the wordes of the Lord prophesied by the mouth of Ieremy, stirre vp your myndes to withstand and resiste the subtile practises of this man, by the which wordes the Lord speaketh: O thou Pastor which hast scattered my people, and hast cast them out of their habitacions, behold I will come and visit vpon thee, and vpō the malice of thy studies: neyther shall there be any of thy seede which shall sit vpon the seat of Dauid, neither which shall haue power any more in Iuda. So that thy neast shall become barren, and vtterly subuerted like Sodome and Gomer.

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And if he being terrified by these wordes do not leaue of from this which he beginneth, and doth not make restitution of those thinges which he hath receaued: then let all and singular persons sing for him being indurat, to hym that seeth all thynges, the Psalme. 108. Deus laudem. &c. For truely as fauour, grace, and beneuolence, remitteth & neglecteth many thinges: so agayne the gentle benignitie of man being too much oppressed and greued, seeking to be deliuered and freed from the same, striueth & searcheth to haue the truth knowen, and casteth of that yoke by all meanes possible that greeueth him. &c. Hæc Cassidorus.

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¶ What effect this letter wrought in them, to whom it was directed, is not in story expressed. This by the sequel may be coniectured, that no reason nor perswasion coulde preuayle, but that the pope retained here still hys exactions, what soeuer was sayde or written to the contrary notwithstanding.

MarginaliaA parliament in Fraunce assembled, wherin is discussed the iurisdiction ecclesiasticall, how farre it extendeth.
An. 1329.And thus much being written hetherto of these actes and doinges here in England, now to slip a litle into the matters happening the same tyme in Fraunce,  

vnder the raigne of the foresayd king Philip, aboue mentioned: forsomuch as about thys time, an. 1329. was commensed a parlament, by the sayde kyng of Fraunce, agaynst the Pope, touching the iurisdiction both temporall, perteining to princes, and ecclesiasticall, belonging to the Church: I thought it not vnprofitable for the reader, to heare and learne þ^e full discourse and tractation hereof, according as we haue caused it to be excerpt faythfully out of the true copye and recordes of Peter Bertrand, Byshop of Eduenen, and chiefe doer and prolocutor in the said parlament, vpon the Popes side, against the king and state temporall.

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For so much as the high Prelate of Rome, otherwyse called Antichrist, being thē in his chiefe ruffe, extolling himselfe aboue all princes and potestates of the world, as in other countries, so also in Fraunce extended his vsurped iurisdiction aboue the princely autoritie of the king, clayming to hymselfe full gouernment of both the states, as well seculare as also ecclesiasticall. The kyng therefore not suffering the excessiue proceedinges of Pope Clement the fift aboue specified, directeth hys letters mandatorie to the prelates & Barōs of þ^e realme of Fraūce, to conuent & assemble themselues together at Paris, about the beginning of December, the yeare aboue prefixed. The tenour of which letters of the kyng directed to the Prelates, foloweth in thys forme and maner.

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MarginaliaThe letter of Philip king of Fraunce, to the byshops and prelates.PHilip by the grace of God kyng of Fraunce, to our welbeloued Byshop of Eduens, greeting and salutation. Reuerend father in God, right trusty and welbeloued we greete you well. The more sight and knowledge you haue in diuinitie and the holy Scriptures of God, wyth the practise and experience of other good qualities and vertues: you know the better a great deale, how that the clergie & laytie of this our realme (as members of one body) ought to cleaue and sticke together: and how by their helping hand, vnitie and peace should be maintayned of all, and the contrary eschued and auoyded, euery state contenting it selfe, and not incroching one vpon an other. And because we are aduertised, how that our Barons and officers (as well in tyme past as of late) haue diuersely in diuers pointes iniuried you, as semblably you and yours in many causes haue wrongfully damaged them: by occasion wherof, the knot of vnitie and concorde which ought to haue florished among you, is quite loosed and vndone. To the ende therefore by Gods grace some good reformation & redresse may be had herein: We most studious of vnitie and concorde require you, and by these our letters commaunde you, to appeare personally before vs at Paris the xv. day of December next ensuing the date hereof: and there before vs to

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