To conclude, his demands were estéemed vnreasonable, so that the bishops and abbats were in a maruellous perplexitie, perceiuing into what miserable state by reason of immoderate exactions the church of England was brought. The bishop of London sticked not to saie, that he would rather lose his head, than consent that the church should be brought to such seruitude as the legat went about to inforce. And the bishop of Worcester openlie protested, that he would sooner suffer himselfe to be hanged, than to sée the church subiect to such oppression by their examples. Other also taking a boldnesse vnto them, affirmed, that they would follow the steps of Thomas sometime archbishop of Canturburie, which for the liberties of the church suffered himselfe to haue his braines cut out of his head. Yet were those prelats euill troubled, for the king was against them on the one side, and the pope gaping after monie was become their vtter enimie on the other: neither were the Noble men much mooued with pitie towards the church their mother (as the terme then went) now thus in miserie.
Ruscand cōplaineth to the king of the frowardnesse of the prelats.
The bishop of London his saiengs.
Finallie, the prelats appealed from Ruscand, vnto the popes presence, and would not obeie the wilfull and violent oppressions of the same Ruscand, so that much adoo there was, and a great complaint made to the king by Ruscand, of the stubborne disobedience of the prelats, and namelie of the bishop of London. The king was in a great chafe with him, and threatned that he would cause the pope to punish him according to that he well deserued: but the bishop answered thereto; "Let the pope and king (saith he) which are stronger than I am, take from me my bishoprike, which by law yet they cannot doo: let them take awaie my miter, yet an helmet shall remaine."
An. Reg. 40.
Edmund the kings sonne inuested king of Sicill and Naples.
Chro. Dun.
This yeare after S. Lukes daie, the king assembled a great number of the nobilitie at London, and thither came the bishop of Bologna la grasse from the pope, bringing with him a ring, with the which he inuested Edmund the kings sonne king of Sicill and Naples. About the same time, the burgesse of Darbie obteined of the king for a summe of monie to haue the iustices itinerants to hold their assises at Darbie for the countie of Darbie, and likewise the shiriffes to kéepe their tournies there, and not at Nothingham, as before they had béene accustomed for both the shires. But now to returne to the bishops.
The councell proroged.