38. Item, the foresayd Officials call by Citation afore them, the honest wedded (aswell man as woman) chargyng them, that they haue committed adultry to the perpetuall infamy of their husbandes and wiues. And for nothyng els but by extortion to wryng money from them.

39. Item, mention must be made of the multitude & number of Proctors, which eate and deuoure vp all the world with their Citations: catchyng vp clientes, and keepyng abroad in the countreys courtes and Assises, who for money returne not the Citations, which by extortion they receaue of them which are cited.

40. Item, there be many other griefes and enormities, which the Chapiters, Abbots, Priors, Prouostes and other Ecclesiasticall persons in the Realme of Fraunce, practise agaynst the people. As when they cause to be cited before them, many of the kynges burgeises, & other in diuers places beyng priuiledged: that is to say, Baiocenses, Manmectans in Britanie, Lugdons, Masticons, with other more. But specially the Prouost of Hospitals, vse more cōmonly this tricke, then any other do: Wherby, the people is much endamaged, and wilbe euery day more and more, if remedy be not had therin.

41. Item, ecclesiasticall magistrates labour to haue cognition of causes of iniury, in whatsoeuer cause it be: whether the iniury be committed by word or fact. Likewise, they take vpon them to heare the causes of maried Clerkes, and of their wiues although they both vse marchaundise. And if at any tyme such couples be taken by the secular Magistrates, the Officiall causeth a suspension to be denounced in that Parish, by force of the Councell Siluanecten.

42. Item, they chalenge to haue cognition concerning widowes goods, both mouable and vnmouable. And if it happeneth at any tyme that a Marchaunt widow, in any the kynges peculiars by way of rest, procureth any temporall man to be conuented before the secular iudge: and the matter so farre trauised, that he should haue bene condemned by the sentence of the Secular iudge, and then come to the eare of the Ecclesiasticall Magistrates, how and before whom the widow did cōuent hym: The sayd temporall iudge shall be constrayned, to withdraw the same. And by their monitions and censures to correct the same, and this often times happeneth.

43. Item, many of the tenauntes & inhabitours of the byshops landes, calleth one an other to the court of þ^e Officials by a kynde of appellation: By vertue wherof, the Officials take vpon them, to procede in the same and to haue cognitiō therof: to the preiudice of the temporall iurisdiction of our soueraigne Lord the kyng.

44. Item, if any man be apprehended by secular iustice in sheddyng of bloud: by them if he be Lay, he is to be ordered: If he be a Clerke he is to be restored to the Ecclesiasticall iudge. But whether he be a temporall man or Clerke that is so taken, and appealeth to the Officials court: MarginaliaThe clergie preiudiciall to cōmon iustice.They will be so bold to haue cognition therof, requiryng herewith amendes of the Secular court, which enterprised the foresayd apprehension. If this be suffered, the malefactor shall neuer be punished: For by and by they will appeale, and immediatly after the appellation fly and auoyde away.

MarginaliaEx officio.45. Item, when they cause many of Office, to be cited before them, they will admit them to haue no Proctors: To whom when they come at the day of appearance, they obiect the crime of vsury. And except they aunswere as the Promotor will themselues, they are troden vnder feete (although they be mere lay) and shall not be dismissed, before they fine euē as the Officials list themselues, although they be no vsurers. MarginaliaVsury creaftely obiected by the cleargie against lay men.But if any be vsurers, they take of them satisfaction and bribes: and so be permitted to vse their vsury, no lesse then before. So that, they may haue their old fees and bribes.

46. Item, they procure their officers to apprehēd clerkes in whatsoeuer soyle they be foūde: albeit by iustice, they may appeale therfro. But if by any they be let of their will, here in they do forthwith by sentence of excommunication, cause them to desist therfore.

MarginaliaThe prelates make the church a denne of theues.47. Item, as often tymes as any temporall Magistrate, doth apprehend any person, which afterward beyng required of þ^e clergy, is quietly deliuered vnto thē: yet for all that, the Officials causeth those Maiestrates to be denounced excommunicate by law.

48. Item, the Prelates geue order of Tonsures aswell to men of. xxx. yeares as vpward, as also to maryed men, when they come vnto them: for feare of imprisonmēt and punishment due vnto them for their criminal offences, before committed: And this is often tymes put in pratcise.

49. Item, if it happen any of the kynges seruaūtes or any other to be excōmunicate, and would fayne be absolued, be-yng glad to pay reasonably for the same: The Clergy will not receiue but such satisfactiō, as shall please them: wherby many of them remaine still excommunicate.

50. Item, when two persons haue bene at strife and law together for the possession of land, and the matter contentious be put into the handes of the kyng by some seruaunt or officer of the kyng, for the takyng vp of the matter: then do the Prelates admonish the one part, not to trouble the other which is in possession. Otherwise if he do, they do excommunicate him.

51. Item, the foresayd Prelates, Deanes, Chaplens, and other the route of the Clergy, putteth the kyngs officers to so much trauayle and expenses in trying out the kynges vsurped iurisdiction, as they terme it: that often tymes many of them spende and consume in the trauayle of the right and title therof, all that they haue and more to.

52. Item, if any secular iusticer in a true and iust cause, at the request of the party, putteth in his helpyng hand cōcernyng the inheritaunce of Clarkes: the Ecclesiasticall Iudges and their Ministers, sendeth out monitions in writing agaynst the sayd Iusticer: yea vnder payne of excōmunication and forfeiture, to take away his hand and leaue of: Enioyning hym further to suffer the other party quietly to enioy the sayd thyngs. Otherwise they denounce him excommunicate, & shall not be absolued before he haue well payed for it, euen as pleaseth maister Official, to the high preiudice of the autoritie of our soueraigne Lord the kyng.

53. Item the Ecclesiasticall magistrates, so soone as they heare any ritch or fat Cob. to dye, or thinke that he will not lyue long: send out forthwith letters vnder seale to their Chaplen, commaundyng hym in any wise not to presume to bury hym, although he made his Testament, and receaued the rites of the Church. And whan afterward, the friendes and kinsfolkes of the dead resorte vnto them to know the cause of their inhibitiō: they declare vnto them that he was an vsurer, and that he kept not the commaundements of holy Church: MarginaliaNote the prelates of officials to get money.And so long keepe they the corps of the dead vnburyed, while the frendes of hym buy it out with good store of money, heapyng & hordyng by these meanes aboundance of riches.

54. Item, if there be any violent sheddyng of bloud in any Churchyard, wherby the interdict taketh place: the Clergy causeth a certaine impositiō to be leuyed of the parishioners there, for the salarie towardes þ^e restoryng therof. Although some of the parisheners be of an exempt iurisdiction: yea and although he which shed the bloud be able to pay the whole taxe which they leuyed, and more to.

55. Item, certaine Chaplaines affirme to haue certayne Apostolicall priuileges, by vertue wherof they may appoint what Iudges they will (yea and often tymes of their owne house) & so be Iudges in their owne cause, which is playne agaynst the law. Whereby often tymes it happeneth, that after great proces and expenses had & made in anye great cause of Inquest (more often about reality then otherwise) when they haue notice by the Proctors and Aduocates that they shall haue the foyle therein: they reuoke forthwith those named Iudges, and so the kynges subiectes are damaged, and can haue no iustice nor redresse at their handes.

56. Item, if any temporal man call a Clerke before a secular iudge in a case of inheritaunce: the ecclesiastical Iudge procureth a stop to be made therin, attributyng to themselues the cognition therof: and so by adiourning & remouyng, the lay man is constrayned to make satisfaction.

57. Item, the Clergy chalengeth the cognitiō of such causes as maryed Clarkes beyng marchantes and artificers do commence: whō by law it doth appertaine to the temporalty, especially about the trade of Marchaundise.

58. Item, they often tymes make Interdictions in many of the kinges townes and holdes, and cause the diuine seruice to cease: agaynst the priuileges graunted by many of the hygh Byshops of Rome to our soueraigne Lord and Maister the kyng.

59. Item, to and for the mayntenaunce & keepyng of their temporalities, they appoynt Baylyfes & other officers: who if they do offende, may not cōdignely be punished accordyng to law and iustice.

60. Item, the Ecclesiasticall Iudges haue promoters belongyng vnto them: who when any man is excommunicated (be it right, or be it wrong) they cause to be made, that no man shall worke or do any thyng for him that is excommunicate: whereby the landes and vynes are often tymes vnlooked to and vntylled, to the no small preiudice of the kyng and his common people.

61. Item, the foresayd Promoters cause Citacions to be made out, by vertue wherof they call in one Citatiō, xx. xxx. or. xl. persons to appeare, for participatyng with such In-