Peter de Sauoy earle of Richmond.
In the beginning of the one and thirtith yeare of king Henries reigne, the pope sent into England to haue the third part of one yeares profit of euerie beneficed man that was resident, and of euerie one not resident the one halfe. The bishop of London should haue séene this aid and collection leuied, but it would not be granted. And in a parlement called this yeare on the morrow after the Purification of our ladie, it was ordenied, that new letters sealed with the common seale of the citie of London should be sent by sufficient messengers, from all the estates of the realme, vnto the pope and cardinals, requiring a moderation to be had in such exactions as were intollerable for the realme to beare. Whilest this parlement yet lasted, there came ouer the lord Peter of Sauoy earle of Richmond, bringing with him certein yoong ladies and damsels, to be bestowed in marriage on such yoong lords and gentlemen as were wards to the king.
An earthquake.
A strange woonder.
Continuall raine.
On S. Valentines euen, a great earthquake happened here in England, and namelie about London, on the Thames side, with the which manie buildings were ouerthrowen. These earthquakes, the seldomer they chance in England, the more dreadfull the same are, and thought to signifie some great alteration. A litle before this earthquake, the sea had ceassed from ebbing and flowing for the space of thrée moneths togither, by a long tract néere to the English shore, to the great maruell of many, for either it flowed not at all, or else so little that it might not be perceiued. And after the earthquake, there followed such a season of foule weather, that the spring séemed to be changed into winter for scarse was there anie daie without raine, till the feast of the translation of S. Benet.
Acts made to restraine presumptuous authoritie of the spiritualtie.
The popes collectors.
A shift by forbearing the name of legat.
There were at this time diuerse ordinances decréed and enacted by waie of prohibition, to restreine the authoritie of spirituall persons, as that no ecclesiasticall iudge should determine in causes of anie temporall man, except touching causes of matrimonie and testaments. They were also prohibited to sue anie actions touching tithes, before anie spirituall iudge, and the writ whereby they were prohibited, was called an Indicauit. Sundrie other such ordinances were deuised, which for bréefenesse we omit. What spéed or answer so euer the messengers had that were sent to Rome with the letters deuised in the late parlement, truth it is, that the pope sent ouer into England such of his agents as gathered no small sums of monie amongst the cleargie, as one Marinus, and an other named Iohannes Anglicus a frier minor, the which were not intituled by the name of legats, to saue the priuileges which the king had, that no legat might come into the realme without his licence. The comming ouer of these men, bicause it was to gather monie, contented not manie mens minds, as well appeared in a parlement called at Oxford about reformation thereof, but yet notwithstanding it was there agréed, that the pope should haue eleuen thousand marks to be leuied amongst them of the spiritualtie, exempt persons and places reserued.