Vindication of Ecclesiastical Volume 3, Volume 2 · Book · Chapter 3 · Document 84
DOmino Papae Rex Anglae, ſalutem. Scriptum eſſe audivimus, quod illa CivitasClauſ. 42 H 3. m. 4. do…ſo. ordinariſſima dicitur, in qua quiſque proprios neſcit affectus. Hoc hodie in reformatione & ordinatione Regni noſtri apertiſſimè comprobatur. Nam noſtri Proceres et Magnates ſua poſtponentes negotia propter noſtra, ſuis ſpretis negotiis noſtris et Regni invigilant toto poſſe, unde cum ordinationem ipſorum nobis et haeredibus noſtris plurimum fructuoſam, habeamus gratam non immexito et acceptam; Sanctitati veſtrae cum omni affectione qua poſſumus ſupplicamus, quatenus favorem ſedis Apoſtolicae hujuſmodi ordinationi dignemini impartiri; fulcientes eandem veſtrae authoritatis robore et conſenſu. In cujus, &c. Teſte ut ſupra.
Soon after there ariſing a difference between the King and his Barons about the Proviſions made at Oxford, which he and the Prince had taken an Oath to obſerve, *Mar. Paris Hiſt p. 958. Rex Angliae abſolvitur à juramento per Papam.Rex autem quia juraverat cum Edwardo primogenito ſuo et Barnagio Proviſiones Oxonienſes, ſe inviolabiliter ſervaturum, et poenituerat eum jam juraſſe taliter, metuens quodammodo notam perjurii, miſit ad Papam ſecreto, rogans, ut ab hoc ſe juramento abſolveret, quod facillime impet ravit. Which eaſie diſpenſation with Oathes, and their violations though never ſo ſolemnly made, (if they concerned not the Popes own honour or intereſt, in which caſes no diſpenſations would be granted) was a great occaſion to advance their uſurped power, as well as filthy lucre.
How groſly this Pope cheated King Henry of all his monies and expectations in this affair of Sicily, after all his negotiations, and how much the Sicilian and Apulian Biſhops and Nobles ſlighted his Papal Authority, Matthew Paris thus relates.
Eodem inſuper tempore, cepit Curia Romana non mediocriter vileſcere, Mat. Paris Hiſt. Angl. p. 949. Coronatio Manftedi in Regem Apuliae.eo quod Apulia Praelati & Magnates contra voluntatem Papae, elegerunt ſibi in Regem, & coronari fecerunt Manfredum, filium Impetatoris Frederici; quia non ſolum ipſum Manfredum, ſed et totum genus ſuum Papa cum tota Curia Romana contemptibilem habuit et exoſum. Inſuper creavit Rex Apuliae Archiepiſcopos et Epiſcopos ſine aſſenſu ipſius Papae, Nota.imo potius eo invito, qui omnes communiter plus ipſi Regi quam Papae obediebant, et contempta Papali prohibitione, Regi honorem et reverentiam exhibebant. Magnates etiam nulla facta de Edmundo filio Regis Angliae mentione, (cui Papa Regnum Apuliae contulerat, et per Epiſcopum Bononienſem annulo quodam inveſtierat) ligantiam fecerat, et homagium, eidem Manfredo et Civitatum et Caſtrorum ſaiſinam fecerunt plenariam. Vnde Rex Angliae non immerito graviter conqueſtus eſt, quod Papa tam argumentoſe multum Regni ſui theſaurum ob illud Regnum Apuliae obtinendum in vanum habuerat, et ſecus quam decuit cum ſuis multipliciter Cardinalibus attraxerat. Attamen Nuncios ſuos in Angliam deſtinatos, utpote fratrem Johannem de Diva, & Magiſtrum de Sene, Epiſcopum Bononienſem, Archiepiſcopum Meſſanienſem, & alios complures, qui advenerant quaſi procuratores negotii Edmundi filii Regis expediendi ſuper Regno Apuliae, Rex commemoratus honorifice ſuſcepit, et procurationes a religioſis opimas extorqueri permiſit.
The very next year Pope Alexander dying, and Ʋrban the 4th. ſucceeding him, *Mat. Paris p. 958, 959.poſt coronationem ſuam, auxilio Cruceſignatorum, fugavit exercitum Romanorum, quem Manfredus intruſerat in patrimonium Sancti Petri. Hic uſque ad quartum haeredem contulit Carolo fratri Regis Francorum Regnum Siciliae, & ex tunc Reges Siculorum geſtare coeperunt arma Regis Franciae, eo pacto, ut Manfredum inde expelleret, quod & factum eſt. And ſo King Henry and his Son were both cheated of their monies and the Realm of Sicily.
An. 1258. all the Nobility of England ſent Meſſengers to the Pope with a notable Letter concerning the buſineſſe of Apulia and Sicily, undertaken by the King without their advice; and their proceedings againſt the Biſhop elect of Wincheſter, and his flight out of the Realm, refuſing to ſtand to his tryal, and their reſolutions not to readmit him into it again, to prevent future troubles and miſchiefs; wherein they mind the Pope of the Kings Oath to obſerve the Proviſions at Oxford, which he ſecretly diſpenſed with upon the Kings motion.
Deſtinantur Nuncii ſolennes ad Dominum Papam ex parte Regni Mat. Paris Hiſt. Angliae, Edit. Londini p. 978. Nuncii deſtinati ad Papam per Angliae unive…ſitatem.et totius Angliae univerſitate, qui nuncia ſuo Domino Papae plenarie intimarent, et quam citius poſſent, non expectantes aliquam diſputationem vel diſceptationem, remearent. Unus autem eorum obiit Pariſiis, videlicet, vir. facundiſſimus & piiſſimus Petrus Branche, unde alii, quaſi attoniti obſtupuerunt, dolentes & deſolati, arreptum tamen iter continuaverunt, injuncta ſibi conſtanter peracturi. Cauſam autem itineris eorum et ſcriptum a Barnagio tranſcriptum audire qui cupit, in Libro Additamentorum invenire praevalebit. Where it is thus recorded.