was in þ^e yeares of our Lord 1356. 57. 58. & 59. He sayd in those yeares the Princes & gentlemen of the realme should not for feare shew themselfe agaynst the people of low estate, assembled of all countries without head or captayne, and they should do as they list in the realme of Fraunce, the which fell after as ye haue heard, how the companions assembled them together, and by reason of their robbery & pillage waxed rich and became great captaynes.

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MarginaliaEx scripto Godfri. de Fontanis.About the same tyme happened in Fraunce a certaine contention betwene the French prelates, and the friers of Paris, testified and recorded by Godfridus de Fontanis, the briefe effect of which story is this.  

The prelates of Fraūce conuenting and assembling together in the Citie of Paris, after a long deliberation among themselues: MarginaliaA contention in Fraunce betwene the prelates and the friers there.caused by the Bedels to be called together all the Studentes, maisters & Bachalers of euery facultie, with the chiefe heades also of all the religious houses and friers in the vniuersity of Paris. Who being all there congregated together in the bishop of Paris his house, where were presēt 4. archbishops, and 20. byshops: MarginaliaA Sermon of the Bish. of Byters to the students of Paris against the friers.first stoode vp the Bishop of Biturecēse, who there making his Sermon, tooke for his theame the place of S. Paule to the Ephesians. Fratres vt sciatis quæ sit longitudo, latitudo, altitudo, et profunditas charitatis, &c. and concluded therupon, first that true charitie woulde compell them to see and prouide for their flockes. Secondly, that the vigore of charitie would arme them, to wythstand errours. Thirdly he concluded, that by the dutie of charitie, they were bound to geue their liues for the soules of their flocke committed to their charge. Fourthly, that by þ^e same charitie euery man to holde himselfe content with that which was his owne, and not to intermedle or busie hymselfe further then to him apperteined or belonged to his office: For there (sayth he) all order ecclesiasticall is dissolued, where as men not containing themselues in their own precinctes, presume in other mēs charges, where they haue nothyng to do. But his charitie (sayth he) now a dayes waxeth colde, and all Ecclesiasticall order is confounded and vtterly out of order. For many there be which now adayes presume to thrust in themselues where they haue nothing to do, so that now the Church may seeme to be a monster. For as in a naturall body appeareth a monster, where one member doth the office of an other: so in þ^e spirituall body which is the Church, may be thought likewise. As whē our learned and prudent brethren, to wit, the friers Maiors and Minors, MarginaliaThat is, the Dominike friers & the Franciscane friers.do take vpon them to vsurpe and occupye the office to vs specially appertayning: namely, where as the scripture warneth vs all, none to take vpon him any office, except he be called thereunto of the Lord, as Aaron was. Wherfore we haue heretofore oftentymes caused the sayd friers, both by the king hymselfe in his owne person, and also by other nobles to be spoken to and desired: to surcease from doing and intermedling in our office, & yet they would not, but haue preached agaynst our willes through all our diocesses, and haue heard confessiōs, saying that they haue the Popes priuilegies to beare them out therin. For the which cause we come to you, and not we here present onely, but also we haue the handwriting and the full consent of all other our fellow Byshops throughout the kyngdome of Fraunce, to complayne to you of thys so great insolencie and presumption of the Friers. For that as we are, you shall be. Neither do I thinke to be any of vs prelates here now, which hath not sometyme bene taken out of thys vniuersitie of yours. We haue desired moreouer, & caused to be desired the foresayd friers, to send their priuileges to the Apostolicke see, to be interpreted and expounded more playnely by the Lord Pope: which they refused also to do. Wherfore, to the intent you may the better vnderstād and see what their priuilegies be, and how farre ther do extend: we haue appointed the said priuilege here openly to be read vnto you.

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MarginaliaThe cōstitutiō of pope Innocent 4. Omnis vtriusque sexus.Then stoode vp an other in the publike place, and there read the priuilegies of both the orders: and afterwarde read also the constitution of Pope Innocent iiij. wrytten in the. v. of the decretals, and beginneth: Omnis vtriusque sexus. &c. Which constitution was repugnant and contrary to þ^e foresayd priuileges, as he there manifestly proued, declaring, how both the sayd priuileges were derogatorie to that constitution.

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MarginaliaThe friers priuilegies proued contrary to the popes cōstitution. The Bish. Ambianensis.This done, then rose vp the Byshop Ambianensis, a great Lawyer: who discoursing from article to article there proued by good law, that the said constitution stoode in his full force and vigore, and ought not to be infringed by the Friers priuileges in no part. And therfore by the vertue of that constitution, that the friers ought not so misorderly to intrude themselues in hearing confessions, in inioynyng of penaunce, and in preaching in Churches and Diocesses MarginaliaFriers ought not to preach in Churches without speciall licence of them to whom the church belōgeth.without speciall licence of the Byshop of the Dioces, & Curate of the parish: vnto whose wordes, neuer a frier at that tyme replyed agayne. And so the Byshop procedyng to his conclusion, desired the vniuersitie to assiste them in that case, wherein they were all determined (saith he) to stand firmely to the sheddyng of their bloud, in resistyng that misorder and iniurie of the friers. This happened the vi. day of December which they dedicate to S. Nicholas.

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MarginaliaThe Friers reply against the prelates.The next day beyng Sōday, one of the order of the Minorites or Franciscans, went to the Church of the Maiorites or preachyng friers: where he made a Sermon (which was neuer sene before, the one order to come and resort with the other) begynnyng in the foresayd matter to reply, and to expound in order through euery article as well as he could: addyng moreouer and saying, that they wēt not so farre in their priuileges, as they lawfully might. And said moreouer, that what tyme the sayd priuileges were in obtayning at Rome: the Byshop Ambianensis was there present himselfe, resistyng the same with all his power, yea all the Prelates also of Fraunce sent and wrote vp to the Court agaynst the same, and yet did not preuaile. For when the friers there presently declared and opened to the pope in what maner and how farre they had vsed priuilegies: the Pope the same tyme sayd, Placet: That is, agreed vnto the same. And now (sayth he) the Prelates require & demaund of vs to send vp our priuilegies to the Court, which were great folly in vs: For in so doyng, what should we els but geue place & occasion, to reuoke agayn the autoritie which is geuen in our handes already. Furthermore, our Warden and maister is now lately dead, and the maister here of the Dominike friers, is not now present. Wherefore, we dare not determine in such a weighty cause (touchyng the priuilegies of oure order) without the presence of them. And therfore we desire you of the vniuersitie to hold vs therin excused, and not to be so lightly styrred agaynst vs, for we are not the worst and vilest part of the Vniuersitie. &c.

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The next day beyng the viij. day of the same moneth, which is also dedicate to the conception of our Lady, vpon which day it was determined likewise: that one of the Dominicke friers, should preach in the Church of the Franciscane or gray friers, and so he did: tendyng to the same end, as the other frier in the other church had done before. Whereby it may seeme the prouerbe well aunswered vnto, wherof we read in the Gospell: MarginaliaHerode and Pilate were made frendes crucifyng of Christfacti sunt amici Herodes & Pilatus in ipsa die.

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It was not long after, that the feast of S. Thomas the Apostle folowed, in whose Vigile all the heades of the Vniuersitie agayne, were warned the third day after to cōgregate together in the Church of S. Bernard at the sermon tyme. MarginaliaAn other sermon agaynst the friers.Which beyng done, and the assembly meetyng together, an other Sermon was made by a Diuine of the Vniuersitie, whose Theame was: Prope est Dominus omnibus inuocantibus eum in veritate, &c. Wherein he with many wordes and great autorities argued agaynst them, that would not be obedient to their Prelates. &c. The Sermon beyng ended, MarginaliaBishop Ambianensisthen rose vp agayne the Byshop Ambianensis, who prosecuting the rest of the Theame, MarginaliaIn vertitate &c.and commyng to the word in veritate: diuided it in three partes, according to the common glose of the decretals.

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Est verum vitæ, doctinæ, iusticiæque,
Primum semper habe, duo propter scandala linque.

MarginaliaVerity in 3. partes consisteth.Shewyng and declaryng by many autorities both of canonicall Scriptures and out of the law, and by euidēt demonstration of experience: that the friers first had no veritie of life, because they were full of hypocrisie: neither had they veritie of doctrine, because in their hart they bare galle, and in their toung hony: neither veritie of iustice, because they vsurped other mēs offices. And thus concludyng with the same, caused agayne to be read the sayd priuilegies, with the constitutiō aboue specified. And so expoundyng place by place, did argue and proue that the sayd constitution, in no part was euacuat or infringed by the priuilegies aforesayd. Which thing beyng declared he added moreouer, that where as the friers say (sayd he) that I should be present in the obteinyng of the priuilegies, I graunt it to be true, & when word came to me thrise therof, I went to the Pope reclayming and requiring the sayd priuilegies to be reuoked. But the next day after, it so pleased the Pope to send me out abroad vpon weyghty affaires, so that then the matter had no end. MarginaliaThe Friers proued wyth a lyeAfter that, we sent also other messengers with our letters, for the same cause vnto the Court of Rome, whom the friers say not to haue preuailed, but they lye therin. For the sayd messengers agayne brought vs letters, from the chief of the Court of Rome, sealed with their seales which

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