The first-[third] tome of an exact chronological vindication and historical demonstration of our British, Roman, Saxon, Danish, Norman, English kings supreme ecclesiastical jurisdiction from the original planting, embracing of Christian religion therein, and reign of Lucius, our first Christian king, till the death of King Richard the First, Anno Domini 1199 ... / by William Prynne, Esq.

JUravit in primis Lodovicus, & omnes & excommunicati & imprisii ejus cum eo,* 1.1 tactis sacrosanctis Evangeliis, quod starent judicio Ecclesiae, & quod de caetero fideles erunt Domino Papae & Ecclesiae Romanae. Juravit etiam, quod incontinenter recederet cum omnibus suis de Regno Angliae; nunquam in vita sua malo animo reversurus. Et quod pro posse patrem suum Philippum induceret, ut Henrico Anglorum Regi redderet omnia jura sua in partibus transmarinis, & cum Rex foret, ipse in pace dimitteret. Juravit insuper, quod omnia castra cum terris omnibus, quas ipse & sui per guerram occupaverant in regno Angliae, Regi & suis redderet incontinenter. Rex autem Anglorum, tactis sacrosanctis Evan∣geliis, juravit cum Legato & Mareschallo, quod redderent Baronibus Angliae & aliis omnibus de Regno, omnia jura & haereditates suas, cum omnibus liber∣tatibus ante petitis; pro quibus discordia fuit exorta inter Johannem Regem Anglorum & Barones. Nec nocumentum vel opprobrium obtineretur hinc vel inde, his qui huic vel alii adhaesissent. Insuper prisones omnes, qui ante hanc pacem provisam se redemerant, & suae redemptionis jam factae pecuniae partem suis cre∣ditoribus solverant, quod solutum est non reddatur eis••: sed siquid superfuerit ad solvendum, debitori penitus relaxetur. Prisones universi, qui apud Lincolniam capti erant, vel praelio naval•• apud Doveram, sive in parte Regis, sive in parte Lodovici, ubicunque, statim sine omni difficultate, & sine omni redemptione & censu liberarentur. Et his ita gestis, absolutus est Lodovicus cum omnibus sec∣tatoribus suis, servata Ecclesiae forma. Ac deinde singuli ruentes in pacis oscu∣culum, tristem laetitiam sub fraudis praetextu plurimi palliabant. Quo facto Lodovi∣cus Londonias reversus, & ibi prae nimia a civibus paupertate, quinque millia librarum sterligorum mutuo accipiens, sub conductu magni Mareschalli ad mare cum festinatione pervenit, & cum opprobrio sempiterno ad Gallias transfretavit. Though the King and Kingdom were thus speedily and finally rid of this forraign French Usurper, yet the Pope and Romish Usurpers got great advantage, and firm∣er footing by it. For it is very observable, that although the Barons and Lay∣men who adhered to Lewis, had a general pardon and indempnity for their Treasons, Rebellions against the King, yet the Popes Legat exempted all the Bishops, Abbots and Clergy out of this Act of pacification, for their contempts against the Popes autho∣rity, that he might tyrannize over them, dispose of their Ecclesiastical promo∣tions and benefices to his instruments, and put them to excessive fines at the present, to fill the Popes and his own coffers, and inrich his own freinds with others Losses, as the Historian thus relates.

Ab hoc quoque absolutionis et pacis beneficio, excepti fuerunt* 1.2 Episcopi, Abbates, Priores, Canonici saeculares, et clerici multi, qui Lodovico ac Baronibus consilium praestiterant et favorem; et maxime Magister Simon de Languetuna, cum Magistro Gerv••sio de Hobrugge: qui in tanta obstinatione diu perstiterant, ut Lodovico et Baroni∣bus excommunicatis divina facerent celebrare mysteria a presby∣teris excommunicatis: unde ab omnibus beneficiis spoliati a Le∣gato, Romam ire compulsi sunt. Nam illico post recessum Lo∣dovici

ab Anglia, Legatus misit inquisitores per omnes Angliae provincias, qui quoscunque de consensu etiam levissimo culpabiles invenerunt, cujuscunque essent ordinis vel dignitatis, suspensos miserunt ad Legatum, et ab omni beneficio spoliatos, qui illorum beneficia suis clericis abundanter distribuit, atque de damnis ali∣orum suos omnes divites fecit. Hugo quoque Lincolniensis Epis∣copus in Angliam veniens, mille marcas Legato de probata pe∣cunia numeravit. Cujus exemplum multi tam Episcopi, quam viri religiosi insequuti, sumptibus nimis damnosis, gratiam sibi reconciliabant Legati. Clericorum quoque et Canonicorum saecu∣larium ubique haustu tam immoderato laculos evacuavit; metens quod non seminavit, ut ex multis portionibus unum grandem acer∣vum cumularet. The King by reason of his infancy and wardship, was un∣able to take notice of, or oppose these Usurpations, extortions of the Legat; and the Nobles adhering to him, were willing at this time to connive at them, as a just punish∣men inflicted upon those Trayterous Bishops, Abbots, Priests and Clergy, for adhering to aforraign Usurper: his Papal power, being then only able thus to crush and fleece them. This gave great encouragement to this Pope and his Legates, to all future Popes and Legates usurpations, oppressions, provisions, rapines of like na∣ture, upon no such just account as this might seem to be. It is evident by Claus. Anno 1. H. 3. m. 21. and Pat. 1. H. 3. m. 16. intus, that this Legat Gualo did bear cheif sway in the Kings councel, and that the King sealed some Letters Patents, sigillis venerabilium Patrum Domini Gualonis, Sancti Martini Presbyteri Cardinalis, A∣postolici sedis Legati, & Domini P. Winton. Episcopi, and sent them abroad un∣der their seals, in the first year of his reign, quia sigillum nondum habuimus, as the Patent Rols oft informes us. And this made the Legat more insolent.

In the 2d. year of King Henry the 3d. the Archbishop of Dublin, in Ireland, and other Bishops there usurping upon the Kings Crown and temporal courts, presumed* 1.3 to hold pleas in their Courts Christian, of lay fee; whereupon there issuing Prohi∣bitions from the Kings Court to stay these suits, they proceeded contemptuously not∣withstanding, upon which there issued out this Writ of attachment against them to appear before the chief Justice of Ireland to answer the contempt.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Mat. Paris, p. 188.
• * 1.2

  Mat. Paris, p. 288.
• * 1.3

  An. Dom. 1218