The Pageant of Popes, Dispensations
Diuers cases wherin the Pope doth sell Dispensation contrarye to Gods Lawe and his owne Canons, and the price of the dispensation according to the rate in his Courtes.
¶ Dispensations for dronkards.
IF a dronkard wil hauehave a cōgregation in his owne house, he must paye for his licence xxx. Turons or poundes of Towrs, vii. ducates and vi. Earlines.
If he will hauehave licence to erecte a newe publicke Synagog, three score Turons, xv. ducates.
For licence to heale with assistaunce, a dronkard payes vi. Turons
¶ Dispensations for such as hauehave bin or are to be promoted being vnderunder age.
If a boye of sixe yeares old wil take that step to priesthoode called Prima Tonsura, the fyrst clyp: he must pay .ix. Turons, two ducates: ix. Carlines.
If one at sixtene yeares or as sone as he coms to be xvi. wylbe Subdeacon his fee is .xii. Turons, iii. Ducates: viii. Carlines: At xvii. yeres .vi Turons: ii. Ducates: At xviii. yeares to be Deacon .xii. Turons: At .xix. yeres .vi. Turons:
To be Priest at xxii. yeres .xii. Turons: ii Ducates: x. Carlines: At .xxiiii. vi. Turons;
¶For licence to take Orders.
He that taketh the first clyppe and the foure lesser orders, not of his ordinarie, payeth▪ iiii Turons: one Ducate: ix. Carlines.
To take all holy Orders, or but ii. or onelyonly one of any body, the fee is xii. Turons: ii. Ducates: x. Carlines.
To take orders without the time, eyther one or more, or al .x. Turons: ii. Ducates.
If any come to receiue Benediction to the vse of an Abbot .xxiiii. Turons: vi. Ducates. To the vse of a Byshop .xxiiii. Turons.
¶Dispensations for those that vvant some of their lymmes, to take Orders.
If any wantinge some member be admitted to Clarkeship in any of the lesser orders, he payes vi. Turons: ii. Ducates.
If any such be admitted to orders, or to executiue function, he paies xvi. Turons: iiii. Ducates.
If any that lacketh fingers be admitted to a single benefice, his fee is .xii. Turons: iii. Ducates: vi Carlines.
If any be blinde of the right eye, xvi. Turons: xii. Ducates.
If any be blynde of the lefte eye, so as he maye holde the booke in the middest of the altare, and the blemishe be not great: xxx. Turons vii. Ducates: vi. Carlines.
He that hauinge but one stone or none wyll be priest, payeth .vi. Turons: ii. Ducates.
He that hath gelded hym selfe .xii. Turons: iii. Ducates: vi. Carl.
¶Dispensations for vvilfull murthers.
He that is a wylfull murtherer maye hauehave a Dispensation to enioye one benefice: but if that suffice him not then for the seconde: if that serue not, then for the thirde, and together with the absolution, he payes .xii. Turons: iii. Ducates: vi. Carlines.
And that he may enioye the priuileges of the clergie .xviii. Turons: iiii. Ducates: ix. Carlines.
And if he require iii, benefices .xviii. Turons: iiii. ducates: ix. Carlines.
A Byshop or Abbot, or the head of any Order, or one of S. Iohns knightes paies to be absolued from wilful murther fifty Turons: xii. Ducates: vi. Carlines.
That a wylfull murtherer maye be secretly admitted into holy Orders, and to mynister at the altar by dispensation, or to any ecclesiastical lyuynges in the court of conscience onelyonly paying .xxxvi. Turons: ix, Ducates.
If one man be gyltye of many murthers at one fraye and one tyme, he payes, xxxvi. Turons .ix. Ducates: But for .ii, murthers in diuers frayes, he paieth fyfty Turons, xii, Ducats, vi, Carlines.
He yt killeth his father, mother, brother or sister, payeth for his pardon for any one of them iiii. Turons …. Ducate 8. Carlines. And so he that killeth his wyfe, and if he aske lycence to marrye another, he payes viii. Turons, ii. Ducates ix. Carlines. And for all they that assist a man in murthering his wyfe, the pardon is dearer by ii. Turones for eueryevery such.
¶ For murthering of priestes.
If a laye man kill a priest, vi. Turons, ii. Ducates.
If he kill a single clearke or a priest in holye orders that is forbidden to execute his office, vi. Turons, ii. Ducates.
If one man kill many priestes at one time and in one fraye, he fines but vi. Turons. If diuers at diuers times, for the first ye whole fine and for euerye one of the rest halfe.
That he who hath bin a priestkiller maye obtaine ecclesiasticall liuinges, the dispensation is ii. Turons, ii. Ducates.
¶ For killing a laye man.
For one laye man onelye .iii. Turons, i. Ducate, iiii. Carlines.
If one kill diuers in one conflict, he fines but for one.
¶ For murthering of children.
If the father, mother or kinseman, murther a childe, iiii. Turons, i. Ducate, viii. Carlines. If a straūger do it, iii. Turons .i. Ducate, iiii. Carlines. If the husband and wyfe both do it, vi. Turons, ii. Ducates.
If a woman take a pocion to kill the fruite in her wombe. Or if the father giuegive it to the mother, the price of their indulgēce is iiii. Turons, i. Ducate, viii. Carlines. If a straunger offer it, iiii. Turons, i. Ducate, v. Carlines.
¶ For charminge and vvitchcraft.
A woman witch or enchantresse after shee hath renounced her sorceryes payeth, vi. Turons, ii. Ducates.
For heretickes.
For absolution from heresye before a man hauehave renoūced it by oath, so as he may be receyued againe to enioye all priuiledges as before in ample maner, the price is xxxvi. Turons, ix. Ducates.
For sacriledge, theft, fyring houses, rapes, periurye and such like.
Absolution with restoring of the parson in ample forme in eueryevery one of these cases, is xxxvi. Turons, ix. Ducates.
For frailtye of the fleshe.
Absolution for fleshlye frailtye in any Uenerius acte committed by one of the clergye though with a nonne within and without the abbey walles, or with women of their kindred or af…ntiye, or their ghostlye doughters &c. with dispensation for retayning his orders is (if he aske absolutiō together with them) xxxvi. Tur. iii. Ducat. But if with them he sue also for absolution of sinne against nature, and sinning with brute beasts in former sort, the price is fourescore and ten Turons, xii. Ducates, vi. Carlines. But if he sue for absolution onelye of sinne against nature &c. as aboue the price is xxxvi. Turons, ix Ducates.
The price of a pardon for a nonne which hath lyen with diuers men within or without the abbeye walles, and to be restored to her former estate in the nonnery, or to be Ladye Abbesse, is xxxvi. Turōs, .ix. Ducates.
Absolution for him that keepeth a concubine with dispensation for orders and spirituall liuing, xxi. Turons, v. Ducates, vi. Car.
For a laye man offending in anye carnall lust in the court of conscience, the dispensation is vi. Turons, ii. Ducates.
For incest, iiii, Turons, for adulterye and incest both, vi. Turons,
¶Of diuers transgressions.
For buryinge, an excommunicated in Churche soyle .vi. Turons: two Ducates.
For hym that hath concealed the carkas of a dead priest, whereby to obtayne his benefice .vi. Turons, two Ducates.
For a prieste that sayth masse ignorantly in an interdicted place, vi. Turons, twoo Ducates.
For a priest that blesseth man and wyfe at the second mariage, which were blessed in the firste .vi. Turons and two Ducates.
The absolution for a marchaunt that transporteth Artyllery to Infidelle… and returneth without gaynes .xii. Turons .iii. Ducates. vi. Carlines.
If he returne with gaines the fee is all one, and he muste agree with the Datary to the Pope.
¶Were it not gentel Reader that bothe I my selfe am euen tired alreadie with s…ttinge forth to shewe this the Popes paltry ware, and that besyde I thinke this may suffice both to fyll the eyes of the gredie chapman, and to geue knowledge what the reste is lyke to be, I mighte yet open the pedlers packe muche wyder, and bringe oute stranger stuffe, fonder toyes and knackes then these are, yea what pedler is he thoughe his boochet be neuer so byg that is able to shewe so greate store and so many sortes of fyne feates as is the riche pedler of Rome, There are in the same packe, from whence I culled these about .400. sondrye cases wherein he geueth free dispensation for the louelove of an olde friend of his the good lady moneye▪ for what can man deuise betwene heauen and hel, yea heauen and hell both, but he hath it to sell: If any of his friendes be offended that I should thus boldly take vppon me to rifle his shop, and to publishe his secretes, or wil saye yt I charge him with some kinde of baggage & riffe raffe, that is none of his, If I maye knowe so muche of their myndes, that this my doinge doth not please them If it myghte please god to geue me tyme, I wyl to content them open other of his boxes, and shewe such workemanshippe of hym and his vnderlynges, that I hope any man, that loueth his owne honestie, wyl for euer be ashamed to buye & sel wt suche a shamefull makeshifte, suche a cosonynge broker, or to fighte vnderunder the banner of suche a bloddy Prelate. In the meane tyme the wyse maye be warned by this howe they meddle with any of his coū terfayte marchaundise, though it hath neuer so fayre a floryshe.
FINIS.
IMPRINTED AT London in Fleetestreate neare vntounto S. Dunstones Church by Thomas Marshe.
Anno. 1574.
End of the text · John Bale, The Pageant of Popes (1574)