REX Thesaurario & Camerariis suis salutem. Liberate de Thesauro nostro* 1.1 Magistro Giffredo de Vezano, Domini Papae Clerico, Quinque Millia Marcarum per manus suas eidem Domino Papae Liberand. de An∣nis Regni nostri Duodecimo, Tertiodecimo, Quartodecimo, Quintodecimo, et Sextodecimo, videlicet de quolibet Anno Mille Mat cas, de Annuo Censu Mille Marcarum, quem idem Dominus Papa percipit ad Scaccarium nostrum: Et recipiatis ab eodem Magistro Giffredo sufficientem quietanciam de pecunia suptadicta. Teste Rege apud Ledes, Decimo octavo die Augusti.
This is the very last demand and payment of this Annual Pension I can yet disco∣ver, by King Edward the 1. or any of his Successors; the contests between this King Edward, his Successors, Nobles, Parliaments, and Popes, growing so high concerning the title to Scotland, Provisions, First-fruits, and other Usurpations on the King, Crown, Kingdom, Church, people, that they would never pay this pretend∣ed, illegal Tribute any more; and when the Pope intended about 58. years after this, to demand it and the arrears thereof from King Edward the 3d. you have * 1.2 heard how he and his whole Parliament Anno 40 E. 3. resolved to withstand him there∣in with all their might, as being void and un-obligatory either to the King or Kingdom.
Now left any Pontificians should conclude from these recited voluntary pay∣ments of it by some of our Kings now and then, that they admitted it a just right and duty, to which they were bound by King Johns Charter, the premises quite re∣fute it, not one of our Kings paying it constantly, willingly, cordially, as a duty, but meerly as a Political bribe or gratuity, to get the quicker dispatch of their af∣fairs they were then necessitated to transact at Rome, where nothing would succeed well without money, and Annual Pensions too, (of 50. 60. 100. Marks by the year, besides other gratuities) given and paid by our Kings as well to Cardinals and Popes Notaries, as to the Pope himself, without which our Kings themselves could hardly, and that with much expence and delay, obtain their justest suites. There are many presidents of such Annual Pensions given and paid to Cardinals, Notaries, Officers of Popes, in our Patent and Liberate Rolls, for the foresaid ends. I shall present you only with these few instead of many others.