About the feast of S. Etheldred, the ladie Elianor wife of prince Edward the kings son, came to London, where she was honorablie receiued of the citizens, & conueied through the citie to S. Iones without Smithfield, and there lodged for a season, and yer long she remooued to the Sauoy. It was not long after, that the king seized the liberties of the citie of London into his hands, for certeine monie which the quéene claimed as due to hir of a certeine right to be paid by the citizens, so that about the feast of S. Martine in Nouember, they gaue vnto the king foure hundred marks, and then had their liberties to them againe restored, and the kings vnder-treasuror discharged, which for the time was made custos or kéeper of the citie.
A legat from the pope named Ruscand a Gascoigne.
Tenths gathered for the pope.
The crosse preached against Manfred.
About the same time came another legat from the pope, namelie, one Ruscand a Gascoigne borne, to whom, with the archb. of Canturburie, and the bishop of Hereford, the pope had granted authoritie to collect and gather the tenths of the spiritualtie within England, Scotland, and Ireland, to the vse of the pope and the king, notwithstanding all priuiledges, for what cause or vnder what forme of words so euer the same had passed. This Ruscand also absolued the king of his vow made to go into the holie land, to the end he might go against Manfred king of Sicill. He also preached the crosse against the same Manfred, promising all those remission of their sins which should go to war against Manfred, as well as if they should go into the holie land, to warre against Gods enimies there, whereat faithfull men much maruelled, that he should promise as great méed for the shedding of christian bloud, as the bloud of infidels.
A councell called at London by the legat.
The craftie and slie fetches which were vsed in this season by this Ruscand, the bishop of Hereford, and other their complices, to get monie of the prelats and gouernors of monasteries within this realme, were wonderfull, & verie gréeuous to those that felt themselues oppressed therewith; and namelie, for the debt which the said bishop of Hereford had charged them with, they being not priuie to the receipt, nor hauing any benefit thereby. Ruscand called a councell at London, & propounded great causes why the prelats ought to aid the pope, and so therevpon demanded great summes of monie. Amongst other summes, he demanded six hundred marks of the house of S. Albons.
Matth. Paris.
The churchmen being pinched by their pursses, fret and fume against the popes procéedings in that behalfe.
The bishops would rather become martyrs, than lose their monie.