W. Paruus. The forme of the kings coine changed. About the same time, the forme of the kings coine was altered and changed, bicause manie naughtie and wicked persons had deuised waies to counterfeit the same, so that the alteration thereof was verie necessarie, but yet gréeuous and chargeable to the poore inhabitants of the realme.
An. Reg. 27.
1181. R. Houed. King Henrie the father, whilest he was at Mauns after Christmasse made this ordinance, that euerie man being worth in goods to the value of an hundred pounds Aniouin, should keepe one horsse able for seruice in the wars, and complet armour for a knight or man of armes, as we may rather call them. Also that such as had goods woorth in value from 40. pounds to 25. of the same monie, should at the least haue in his house for his furniture an habergeon, a cap of stéele, a speare, and a sword, or bowe and arrowes. Furthermore he ordeined, that no man might sell or laie to gage his armour and weapon, but should be bound to leaue it to his next heire. When the French king and the earle of Flanders were aduertised that king Henrie had made this ordinance amongst his subiects, they gaue commandement that their people should be armed after the like manner.
Matth. Paris. This yeare after Candlemasse, Laurence archbishop of Dublin came ouer to the king into Normandie and brought with him the son of Roderike king of Conagh, to remaine with him as a pledge, for performance of couenants passed betwixt them, as the paiment of tribute and such like. The said archbishop died there in Normandie, wherevpon the king sent Geffrey de Haie one of his chapleins, and chapleine also to Alexius the popes legat into Ireland, to seize that archbishops sée into his hands. He also sent John Lacie conestable of Chester, and Richard de Peake, to haue the citie of Dublin in kéeping, which Hugh Lacie had in charge before and now was discharged, bicause the king tooke displeasure with him, for that without his licence he had maried a daughter of the king of Conagh, according to the manner of that countrie.
This yeare also, Geffrey the kings bastard sonne, who was the elect of Lincolne, and had receiued the profits of that bishoprike, by the space of seuen years, and had his election confirmed by the pope in the feast R. Houed. of the Epiphanie at Marlebridge, in presence of the king and bishops renounced that preferment, of his owne free will. Within a while after the pope sent a streit commandement vnto Richard archbishop of Canturburie, either to cause the same Geffrey by the censure of the church to renounce his miter, or else to take vpon him the order of préesthood. Wherefore vpon good aduice taken in the matter with his father and other of his especiall fréends, iudging himselfe insufficient for the one, he was contented to part with the other; and therevpon wrote letters vnto the said archbishop of Canturburie, in forme as followeth.
A letter of Geffrey the kings base sonne elect of Lincolne to Richard archbishop of Canturburie,
Venerabili patri Richardo Dei gratia Cantuariensi archiepiscopo apostolicæ sedis legato, Galfridus domini regis Angliæ filius & cancellarius salutem & reuerentiam debitam ac deuotam. Placuit maiestati apostolicæ vestræ iniungere sanctitati, vt me certo temore vocaretis ad suscipendum ordinem sacerdotis, & pontificalis officij dignitatem. Ego verò considerans quamplures episcopos maturiores ac prouectiores prudentia & ætate vix tantæ administrationi sufficere, nec sine periculo animarum suarum sui officium pontificatus ad perfectum explere, veritus sum onus importabile senioribus mihi imponere iuniori: faciens hæc nō ex leuitate animi, sed ob reuerentiam sacramenti. Habito itaque tractatu super eo cum domino rege patre meo, dominis fratribus meisque rege & Pictauensi & Britannorum comitibus: episcopis etiam Henrico Baiocensi, Frogerio Sagiensi, Reginaldo Batoniensi, Sefrido Cicestrensi, qui præsentes aderant, aliter de vita & statu meo disposui, volens patris mei obsequijs militare ad tempus, & ab episcopalibus abstinere: omne it que ius electionis inde & Lincolnensem episcopatum spontaneè, liberè, quieté, & integrè, in manu vestra pater sancte resigno, tam electionem quàm episcopatus absolutionem postulans à vobis, tanquam à metropolitano meo, & ad hoc ab apostolica sede specialiter delegate. Bene vale.
The king for his maintenance, now after he had resigned his bishoprike, gaue him 500. markes of yearelie rent in England, and as much in Normandie, and made him moreouer lord chancellor.
This yeare also after Easter, the kings of England and France came to an enteruew togither, at a place in the confines of their countries called by some writers Vadum Sancti Remigij, on a mondaie being the 17. of April, in which assemblie of those two princes, the knights templers and hospitallers presented to them letters directed from pope Alexander vnto The danger of the holie land. all christian princes, aduertising them of the danger wherein the holie land stood at that present, if spéedie remedie were not the sooner prouided. Wherefore he exhorted them to addresse their helping hand towards the releefe thereof, granting vnto all such as would enterprise to go thither in person (to remaine there vpon defense of the countrie against the infidels) great pardon, as to those that did continue there the space of two yéeres, pardon of penance for all their sins, except theft, extortion, roberie, and vsurie; in which cases restitution was to be made, if the partie were able to doo it; if not, then he should he absolued as well for those things as for other. And those that remained one yeare in those parties were pardoned of halfe their whole penance due for all their sinnes. And to those that went to visit the holie sepulchre, he also granted great pardon, as remission of their sinnes, whether they came thither or peraduenture died by the waie. He also granted his frée indulgence vnto those that went to warre against the common, the professed and open enimies of our religion in the holie land, as his predecessors the popes Vrbanus and Eugenius had granted in time past: and he receiued likewise their wiues, their children, their goods and possessions vnder the protection of S. Peter and the church of Rome.
The two kings hauing heard the popes letters read, and taken good aduice thereof, promised by Gods fauour shortlie to provide conuenient aid for reléefe of the holie land, and of the christians as yet remaining in the same. This was the end of their communication for that time, and so they departed, the French king into France, and the king of England into Normandie.
In the meane time, by the king of Englands appointment, William king of Scotland went ouer into Normandie, and by the aduice and good admonition of king Henrie, he granted licence vnto two bishops of his realme of Scotland, to wit, Aberdene and saint Andrewes, to returne into Scotland, whome he had latelie before banished, and driuen out of his realme. Moreouer, as king Henrie laie at Harfléet readie to saile ouer into England, discord fell betwixt the king of France and the erle of Flanders, so that the king of England at desire of the French king returned backe, and came vnto Gisors, where the French king met him, and so did the earle of Flanders, betwixt whome vpon talke had in the matter depending in controuersie, he made a concord, and then comming downe, to Chirburge he and the king of Scots in his companie passed ouer into England, landing at Portesmouth the 26. of Julie.