The offer of ye spiritualtie.
In this parlement, the lord Edmund the kings yoonger sonne was shewed as king of Naples and Sicill, for the obteining of the possession of which dominions and kingdoms, his father king Henrie demanded no small subsidie and aid of monie, both of the temporaltie and also of the spiritualtie, but namlie, he required to haue the tenths of spirituall mens liuings for the terme of fiue yeares, according to the new taxations without any deductions to be allowed except necessarie expenses: also, the fruits for one yeare of benefices that chanced to fall void within the said terme of fiue yeare. Moreouer, sundrie other duties he required to haue of the spirituall men, sore to their gréeuance, and speciallie, bicause they knew that such tyrannie first tooke beginning from the pope. In the end (though loth they were to consent) yet conditionallie that the king would confirme the liberties conteined in the great charter, and obserue the same throughlie, now after it had béene so manie times brought out and redéemed, they offered to giue him towards his instant necessitie two and fiftie thousand marks, to the irrecouerable danger of impouerishing the church. And yet, as it is said, the king refused the gift, as that which he thought not to be sufficient.
¶ Truelie it should séeme, that there was a great vntowardlie disposition in the subiects of that time, for the helping of their king with necessarie aid of monie, towards such great charges as he had béene diuers waies occasioned to be at, since his first comming to the crowne. But bicause it was perceiued that he bestowed no small quantitie of his treasure to the aduancing of his kinsfolke and aliance, namelie strangers, and againe defraied great summes in vaine hope to obteine the kingdoms of both the Sicils which the pope offered to him fréelie inough in words, as before yée haue heard, the English subiects conceiued a great misliking of the whole gouernement, and namelie, for that he séemed to be led and ruled by the aduise and counsell of those strangers, who being not throughlie acquainted with the nature of the English people, nor fullie instructed in the lawes and customes of the realme, caused him to doo manie things, that procured both to him and them much ill will as well of the hie states as of the commons, which as occasion serued, they were readie inough to discouer, and therefore they were verie inquisitiue, both to learne what he receiued, and also in what sort he bestowed that which he did receiue and take.
It was therefore knowne, that since he first began to waste his treasure, his charges amounted vnto the summe of 950000 marks, as the bookes of accompts remaining in the hands of the clearks of his closet plainelie witnessed, and yet of all those vaine expenses no great aduantage was growne thereby to the king or realme, but rather disaduantage, as the most part of men then tooke it, and no maruell: for there was such hartburning amongst the nobilitie, one enuieng an others aduancement, & repining at each others dooings, that it was not possible to bring any good drift forward amongst men so far at ods togither. But we will let this passe as a thing manifest inough to them that shall well consider the course of that time, and will returne to the parlement aboue mentioned.
The archbish. of Cullen and other ambassadors of Almaine.
Before the end of this solemne assemblie of states, the archbishop of Cullen with a duke, & an other bishop came ouer out of Almaine, vnto their elect king Richard, to whome they did fealtie and homage, as to their souereigne liege lord and gouernor, which thing once doone, he gaue to the said archbishop fiue hundred marks to beare his charges, with a rich miter set with stones, & furnished with plates of beaten gold; which miter when the archbishop had set it vpon his head; "He hath (saith he) giuen a rich gift to me and to my church, and verelie, euen as I haue put this miter on my head, so will I set on his head the crowne of the kingdome of Almaine; he hath mitered me, and I will crowne him." The other lords of Almaine, which at the same time did homage vnto earle Richard, were also presented with great and rich gifts.
Six archbish. present at London in time of the parlement.
The elect K. of Almaine taketh his leaue of the king his brother.
He landeth at Dordreigh.
Héere is further to be noted, that there were present at this parlement six archbishops, Canturburie, Yorke, Dubline, Messina, Tarento and Cullen. The archbishop of Messina was come to the king to set him on dotage for the businesse about the conquest of Naples and Sicill. At the feast of Ester next following, the archbishop of Cullen returned into his countrie, and the third day after Easter, the elect king of Almaine tooke his leaue and departed toward Yarmouth, where he purposed to take the sea, to saile ouer into Almaine, but by reason of contrarie winds he was driuen to remaine there a long time, to his great gréefe and inestimable charges before he could passe ouer; yet finallie, about the latter end of Aprill, he got foorth to the sea, and landed at Dordreigh the first of Maie next insuing.