Here begynneth a shorte and abreue table on the Cronycles ...

¶How kynge Iohn̄ destroyed the ordre of Cesteaux.

ANd in the same yere / the Irysshe men began to warre vpon kynge Iohn / & the kynge ordeyned hym for to go in to Irlon¦de / & lete arere an huge taxe thrughout al Eng¦londe / that is for to saye .xxx. thousande mar∣ke. And thus he sent thrugh out all Englonde vnto mōkes of the ordre of Cisteaux that they shold helpe hym of ·vi. thousande marke of syl¦uer. ¶And they answered and sayd / that they durst no thynge do without theyr chyef abbot yf Cisteaux. wherfore kynge Iohan whan he came ayen from Irlonde / dyde them so moche sorowe & care / that they wyst not wheder to a byde / for he tooke so moche raunson of euery hous / & the somme amoūted to .ix. thousande & .iiii. hondred marke / so that they were clene lost & destroyed / & voyded cheyr houses & theyr londes thrughout all Englonde. And the ab∣bot of wauersaye draded so moche hys mena∣ce / that he forsoke all the abbaye & went thens & pryuely ordeyned hym ouer the see to y^e hous of Cisteaux. whan the tydynges came to the pope / that the kynge hath done so moche maly¦ce / then he was to warde the kynge full wroth And sente to Legates vnto the kyng / that one was called Pandulf / & y^e other Duraunt / that they sholde warne the kynge in the popes na∣me / that he sholde cesse of his persecucion y^t he dyde vnto holy chirche / & amende the wronge & the trespasse / y^t he had done to the Archebys∣shop of Caunterbury / & to the pryour & vnto the monkes of Caunterbury / & to all the cler∣gye of Englonde. And that he sholde rest ore al the goodes ayen y^t he had taken of them ayenst theyr wyll & elles they sholde curse hym by na¦me / And to do this thynge / and to conferme the pope toke them his letters in bulles paten¦tes. ¶These two Legates came in to englon∣de / & came to the kynge to Northamton / the∣re y^t he helde his parlyamente / & full curteysly they hym salewed & sayd. Syr we come fro y^e pope of Rome / the peas of the holy chyrche & the londe to amende. And we admonest you fyrst in the popes half / that ye make full resty∣tucyon of the goodes y^t ye haue rauysshed & ta∣ken of holy chyrche & of the londe. And that y•• receyue Stephen Archebysshop of Caunterbu¦ry in to his dygnytee / & the pryour of Caunter¦bury / & his mōkes. And that ye yelde ayen vn¦to the Archebysshop alle his londes & rentes / without ony withholdynge. ¶And syr yet mo¦re ouer / y^t ye shall make restytucyon / vnto all holy chyrche / wherof they shall holde them wel apayed. Tho answered the kynge as touchyn∣ge the pryour & his monkes of Caunterbury. All that ye haue sayde I wyll do gladly / and all thynge y^t ye wyll ordeyne. But as touchynge the Archebysshop. I shall tell you in my herte as it lyeth. That the Archebysshop leue his ar¦chebysshoppryche / & that y^e pope then̄e for hym wolde praye / & then̄e vpon auenture / me shol¦de lyke some other bysshopryche to yeue hym in Englond And vppon this condicyon I wyl hym accepte & receyue And neuertheles as Ar¦chebysshop in Englonde yf he abyde / he shall neuer haue so good{is} saufconduyte / but that he shall be take. ¶Tho sayde Pandulf vnto the kynge / Syre holy chyrche was wonte neuer to dyscharge an Archebysshop wythout cause resonable. But euer it hath be wonte to chas¦tyse prynces / y^t to god & holy chyrche were In obedyence. ¶What how now sayde the kyng menace ye me. Naye sayde Pandulf / But ye now openly haue tolde / as it standeth in your herte. And to you we wyll tell what is the po∣pes wyll. And thus it standeth / y^t he hathe you hooly enterdyted & accursyd / for the wronges that ye haue done to holy chyrche & to the cler∣gye. And for as moche as ye dwelle / & beth in wyll to abyde in malyce & in wretchednesse / & wyll not come out therof / ne to amēde ye shall vnderstande / y^t this tyme after warde the sen∣tence is vpon you yeuen and holdeth stede and strength / and vpon all tho that with you hath comuned before this tyme / whether they ben erles / barons / or knyght{is} / or ony other what so euer y^t they be we them assoylle / saufly vnto this day· & fro this tyme after warde of what condycyon someuer y^t they ben we them accur¦se / y^t with you comyne ony worde / & do wene sē¦tence vpon them openly and specially And we assoyle clene / erles / barrns / knyghtes / and all

other mē of theyr homages / seruyces and feau¦tres / that they sholde vnto you do / And this ty¦dynge to conferme / we yeue playne power / to the bysshop of wynchestre / and the bysshop of Norwhiche. And the same power we yeue in to Scotlōde to the bisshop of Rochestre and of Salysbury. And in walys we yeue the same power to the bysshop of saynt Dauyd and of Landaf & of saynt Asse. And more ouer we sen¦te thrugh out all Crystendom / that all the bys¦shops beyonde the see / that they do accurse all tho that helpe you / or ony counseyl yeueth you in ony maner nede that ye haue to doo in ony parte of the worlde. And we assoyle them also all / by auctoryte of y^e pope / & commaūde them also with you for to fyght / as with hym that is enmye to all holy chyrche. ¶Tho answered y^e kynge. what may ye do more to me ¶Tho an¦swered Pandulf. we saye to you in the worde of god / that ye ne no heyr that ye haue / neuer after this daye may be crowned. Tho sayd y^e kyne. By hym that is almyghty god / & I had wyst this are that ye came in to my londe / that ye had brought me suche tydynges. I shold ha¦ue made you redy all one yere. ¶Tho answe∣red Pandulf / Full well wende we at our fyrst comynge / that ye wolde haue be obedyent to god & holy chyrche / & haue fulfylled the popes commaūdement / & now we haue shewed vnto you / & pronounced the popes wyll / as we we∣re charged therwith / And as now ye haue say∣de / that yf ye had wyst the cause of our comyn∣ge / that ye wolde haue do vs to ryde all an hole yere. And as well ye myght haue sayd / that ye wolde haue taken an hoole yere of respyte / by the popes leue. ¶But for to suffre what deth ye coude ordeyne / we shall not spare for to tell you hooly all the popes message and his wyll / that we were charged with.