Vindication of Ecclesiastical Volume 3, Volume 2 · Book 3 · Chapter 2 · Document 54 – Document 63
UNiverſis preſentes Literas inſpecturis Gifredus de Vezano Canonicus Cameracenſis, Camerae Domini Papae Clericus, Apoſtolicae ſedis in Anglia Nuncius ſalutem in Domino.
Noveritis nos Litteras apoſtolicas vera Bulla & integro filo bullatas recepiſſe in haec verba. Martinus Epiſcopus ſervus ſervorum Dei Gifredo Camerae noſtrae Clerico ſalutem & Apoſtolicam Benedictionem. Cum ſuper ſolutione annui cenſus Mille marcarum Sterlingorum in quo Kariſſimus in Chriſto filius noſter Rex Angliae illuſtris pro triennio preterito et etiam pro inſtanti Anno in proximo terminando nobis et Eccleſiae Romanae tenetur, tibi, noſtro et ipſius Romanae Eccleſiae nomine facienda, ſub certa forma eundem Regem per noſtras Literas requiramus. Nos de diſcretionis tuae induſtria plenarie confideutes, faciendi eidem Regi noſtro & Eccleſiae prefatae nomine, refutationem plenariam de hujuſmodi cenſu quatuor Annorum postquam de illo tibi noſtro, & ipſius Eccluſiae nomine fuerit integre ſatiſfactum, plenam tibi Authoritate preſentium concedimus facultatem. Dat apud urbem Veterem Duodecimo Kalend Septembris. Pontificatus noſtri Anno primo. Cumque Seriniſſimus Dominus Edwardus Rex Angliae Illuſtris uobis nomine ſanctiſſimi Patris Domini Martini ſummi Potiſicis & Romanae Ecclſiae pro annuo Cenſu mille Marcarum in quo idem Rex ſummo Pontifici et Eccleſiae Romanae tenetur quatuor Millia Marcarum ſterlingorum per manus Barontini Walteri, Richardi, Gudicionis, & Henerici de Podio de Societate Ricardorum de Luka, pro quatuor Annis in premiſſis Literis Apoſtolicis comprehenſis & terminatis in feſto ſancti Michaelis proximo praeterito Currente Anno Domini M…llefimo Ducenteſimo Octogeſimo primo perſolverit, et recognoſcamus et confiteamu… de ipſis quatuor Millibus Marcarum nobis eſſe promiſſi nomine a dicto Domino Rege per Manus dicttorum B…tuntini, Ricardi et Henrici pro ſupradictis quatuor Annis integre ſatisfactum. Nos conceſſ a nobis per eaſdem Literas Apoſtolicas facultate facimus eidem Domino Regi nomine Domini noſtri ſummi Pontificis & Romane Eccleſie Refutationem plenariā de hujuſmodi Cenſu praedictorum quatuor Annorum de quibus praefatae Litterae Apoſtolicae faciunt mentionem, et qui in dicto feſto ſancti Michaelis proximo praeterito terminati fuiſſe noſcuntur. In quorum omnium teſtimonium has Literas Patentes fecimus & ſigillo noſtro munivimus. Et Venerabiles Patres Domini Godefridus Wigornenſis & Willielmus Norwicenſis Epiſcopi, ac Magiſter Ardicio Primicerius Mediolan. Domini Papae Capellanus & in Anglia Nuncius, qui dictas Litteras Apoſtolicas viderunt, & recognitioni, ac confeſſioninec, non refutationi premiſſis interfuerunt ſua ſigilla praeſentibus apponi fecerunt, ad majoris roboris firmitatem. Dat. London. ſexto Idus Novembris Anno Domini ſupradicto.
Et Memorandum quodiſtae duae Literae precedentes Liberatae fuerunt Thomae de Gunneis, apud Ceſtriam die Sabbati proximo ante feſtum Apoſtolorum Petri & Pauli Anno &c. Decimo per manum Johannis de Langeton, in Garderoba Regis cuſtodiendae.
King Edward was very backwards to pay this Penſion any more, ſo that Pope Martin the 4th. dying, Anno 1285. and Hmorius the 4th. ſucceeding, ſent Letters to the King, requeſting him to pay 3. years arrears then due unto him, which he refuſed or neglected to do during his Papacy: whereupon Pope Nicholas his Succeſſor in the 17. year of his reign, ſent this Bull unto him, entred in the Clauſe Rolls, requiring him to pay the ſaid 3. years arrears, and 2. years more ſince incurred, intirely and freely, that ſo he receiving it gratetully, might from thence deſervedly commend his Munificence: Intimating thereby, that it was rather a voluntary bounty, then duty in this King to pay it, who thereupon iſſued a Warrant to his Treaſurer for payment thereof, and to receive an acquittance for it; the Tranſcript whereof I ſhall here preſent you with.
NICHOLAUS Epiſcopus Servus Servorum Dei, Chariſſimo in Chriſto FilioClauſ. 17 E. …. m. 4. Edwardo Regi Angliae Illuſtri, ſalutem & Apoſtolicam Benedictionem. Honorem tuum fili Chariſſime decere credimus, ac tui & Regni tui profectibus expedire, ut quod juſte debes Sacroſanctae Romanae Eccleſiae, Matri tuae, ſic promptus exolvas, quod gratiam acquiras ex debito, & commendari mereatur Celſitudo Regia ex affectu. Cum igitur Cenſus Annuus Mille Marcarum ſterlingorum a te, ſicut noſti, eidem Romanae Eccleſiae debeatur, ac felicis recordationis Honorius Papa quartus, Predeceſſor noſter ſuper ſolutione ipſius Cenſus, de tribus Annis debiti facienda a te ſub certa forma tibi direxerit ſcripta ſua, et nondum Camerae ſedis Apoſtolicae de dicto Cenſu pro eiſdem tribus Annis ſatistactum exiſtat, Serenitatem Regiam requirimus et rogamus attente, per Apoſtolica tibi ſcripta mandantes, quatenus Cenſum ipſum pro eiſdem tribus Annis jam praeteritis et etiam pro duobus ſequentibus terminandis in proximo futuro Feſto Beati Michaelis, dilecto filio Magiſtro Giffredo Camerae noſtrae Clerico in Anglia commoranti, has tibi Literas praeſentanti, noſtro et Eccleſiae praedictae nomine facias integre et liberaliter aſſignari. Ita quod nos id gratum habentes Magnificentiam tuam poſſimus exinde merito commendare. Dat. Rome, apud Sanctum Petrum, iiij. Kalend. Maii. Pontificatus noſtri Anno primo.
Et memorandum quod die Veneris proxima poſt Feſtum Aſſumptionis Beatae Mariae, Anno Regni &c. Decimo ſeptimo apud Ledes, liberata fuit iſta Bulla, Magiſtro Willielmo de Luda, tunc cuſtodi Garderobae Domini Regis, in eadem Garderoba cuſtodienda.
Upon receipt hereof, the King to gratifie this Pope, (of whoſe favour and aſſiſtance he was then to make extraordinary uſe, about his great affairs in France and Gaſcoign, as is evident by his Letters and Proxies to him and his Cardinals, entred in Rot. Vaſconiae Anno 17 E. 1. pars 2. m. 2. dorſo) iſſued this Warrant to his Treaſurer to pay theſe arrears.
REX Theſaurario & Camerariis ſuis ſalutem. Liberate de Theſauro noſtroLiberate 17 E. 1. m. 2. intus. Magiſtro Giffredo de Vezano, Domini Papae Clerico, Quinque Millia Marcarum per manus ſuas eidem Domino Papae Liberand. de Annis 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 diſcover, 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 pretended, 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 *Here, p. 301, 302.heard how he and his whole Parliament Anno 40 E. 3. reſolved to withſtand him therein 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 payments 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 refute 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 affairs 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.
REX omnibus ad quos, &c, Salutem; Sciatis quod conceſſimus VenerabiliPat. 6. Edw. 1. mem. 24. intus. Patri Domino M. Sanctae Mariae in Porticu Diacono Cardinali Sexaginta Marcas ſingulis Annis ad Scaccarum noſtrum percipiendas, viz.) Unam medietatem ad Scaccarium noſtrum Paſchae, & aliam medietatem ad Scaccarium noſtrum Sancti Michaelis, donec per nos eidem uberius provideatur. In cujus, &c. Teſte Rege apud Weſtmonaſterium Decimo Octavo die Januarii.
REX Theſaurario & Camerariis ſuis ſalutem. Liberate de Theſauro noſtro dilectoLiberate 13. Edw. 1. mem. 5. intus. Clerico noſtro Magiſtro Angelo Domini Papae Notario Decem Marcas de Termino Paſchae Anno regni noſtri 13. de annuo feodo ſuo viginti Marcarum quod de nobis percipit ad Scaccarium noſtrum. Teſte Rege apud Weſtmonasterium Viceſimo Octavo die Maii.
REX eiſdem ſalutem. Liberate de Theſauro noſtro eidem Angelo Triginta Pat. 29. Edw. 1 mem. 6. intus.Marcas, de Termino ſancti Michaelis Anno Regni noſtri Nono, et Viginti Marcas Anno regni noſtri decimo, de annuo feodo ſuo Viginti Macca rum quod de nobis percipit ad Scaccarium noſtrum. Teſte ut ſupra.
REX omnibus ad quos, &c. Salutem. Attendentes affectionis ſinceritatemPat. 30. Edw. 1. mem. 7. intus. & diligentiae ſollicitudinem quas vener abilem Patrem Lucam de Fliſco ſanctae Mariae via lata diaconum Cardinalem Conſanguineum & amicum noſtrum Cariſſimum erga nos & negotiorum noſtrorum expeditionem gerere novimus et habere, quinquaginta Marcas ſterlingorum annuatim per aequales portiones ad ſcaccarium noſtrum, videlicet in feſtis Paſchae et ſancti Michaelis percipiendas duximus concedendas: In cujus, &c.
Dat. apud Donypas Decimo quarto die Octobris. Per breve de privato ſigillo.
Conſimiles Literas habet venerabilis Pater Dominus Petrus de Piperna ſanctae Mariae novae Diaconus Cardinalis, Amicus Regis Kariſſimus, de quinquaginta Marcis ſterlingorum annuatim percipiendis ad ſcaccarium praedictum in feſtis predictis. Teſte ut ſupra.
Per breve de privato ſigillo.
Conſimiles Literas habet venerabilis Pater Dominus Willielmus de Pergumo ſancti Nicholai in carcere Tulliano Diaconus Cardinalis Amicus noſter Kariſſimus, de Quinquaginta marcis ſterlingorum annuatim percipiendis ad ſcaccarium praedictum in feſtis praedictis. Teſte ut ſupra.
Per breve de privato ſigillo.
Conſimiles Litteras habet Venerabilis Pater Franciſcus ſanctae Mariae in Coſmodii Diaconus Cardinalis et amicus Regis Kariſſimus de Quinquaginta Marcis ſterlingorum annuatim percipiendis ad ſcaccarium predictum in fest is predictis. Teſte ut ſupra.
Per breve de privato ſigillo.