An. Reg. 37.
The pope offereth the kingdome of Sicill vnto the earle of Cornewall.
This yeare died sir Nicholas Samford knight, a man of great reputation and valiancie. Also on the twentith day of October, the countesse of Winchester daughter to the earle of Hereford departed this life at Grobie, a manour place belonging to hir husband the earle of Winchester, a little besides Leicester, and was buried at Braklie. The said earle shortlie after married an other wife in hope of issue. For neither by this his last wife, neither by his first that was daughter to the lord Alane de Galowaie had he any children. Also the same yeare, that noble ladie Margaret countesse of Lisle surnamed Riuers, somtime wife to Fouks de Brent, departed out of this world, about the second day of October. In the seauen and thirtith yeare of king Henries reigne, one of the popes notaries called Albert came into England to offer vnto Richard earle of Cornewall the kings brother, the kingdoms of Naples and Sicill. But the earle supposing it not to stand with his honour, to depriue his nephue Henrie, sonne to the emperor Frederike the second, by his wife the empresse Isabell that was sister to the said erle, refused to take that honour vpon him.
About the same time, that is to say, on the octaues of saint Martin, Boniface the archbishop of Canturburie arriued in England, comming from the court of Rome, where he had béene long resident. ¶ At the same time there chanced a great occasion of strife betwixt the said archbishop, and the bishop of Winchester. For where maister Eustace de Lin, officiall to the said archbishop had first excommunicated, and after for his contumacie caused to be attached a préest which by authoritie of the elect of Winchester as diocesane there, was entred into possession of an hospitall in Southwarke, as gouernour thereof, by the name of prior, without consent of the officiall: who pretended title as patrone in his maisters name. The said elect of Winchester caused a riotous sort of persons after the maner of warre to séeke reuenge hereof, the which after manie outrages doone, came to Lambeth, and there by violence tooke the said Eustace out of his owne house, and led him to Farnham, where he was kept as prisoner.
The archbishop thus serued at his first comming ouer, and taking the same but for a homlie welcome, was maruellouslie offended, and comming to London accompanied with the bishops of Chichester and Hereford, in the church of saint Marie bowe, being reuested in pontificalibus, pronounced all those accurssed, which were authours or fauourers of such a rash and presumptuous déed, and further commanded all the bishops within his prouince, by vertue of their obedience, to denounce the same in their churches euerie sundaie and holie day. The bishop of Winchester on the other part, sent commandement to the deane of Southwarke, to resist the archbishop to his face, and to denounce his cursse to be void, vaine, and of no force, but deuised of a craftie purpose and wicked meaning. The archbishop continuing in his conceiued displeasure, went to Oxenford, and there on the morrow after saint Nicholas day, renewed the same cursse in solemne wise before all the learned men, students, and scholers of the Vniuersitie.
1253.
The archb. of Canturburie and the bishop of Winchester made fréends.
William de Valence, and Iohn de Warren.
The value of spirituall liuings in strangers hands.
Howbeit, at length the matter was taken vp betwixt them, for the king in his brothers cause, and the quéene for hir vncle the archbishop, tooke some paine to agrée them: and so in the octaues of the Epiphanie they were made fréends, and those absolued that were excommunicated, in which number William de Valence, and Iohn de Warren were thought to be conteined, as those that should be present in vsing the force against the officiall (as before ye haue heard.) By inquirie taken about this time by the diligence of the bishop of Lincolne, it was found that the yéerlie profits and reuenues of spirituall promotions and liuings resting in strangers hands preferred by the popes prouisions, amounted to the summe of thréescore and ten thousand marks, which was more by two third parts, than the kings reuenues belonging to his crowne.