Matth. Paris.
This yeare, or (as some saie) in the next, the king granted to the citizens of London frée warren, that is to saie, libertie to hunt within a certeine circuit about London, & that all weires in the Thames should be plucked vp and destroied. Also in this tenth yeare of his reigne, king Henrie granted to the citizens of London, that they might haue and vse a common seale. About the time of the making of which ordinances, Otho the cardinall of S. Nicholas in Carcere Tulliano came as legat from pope Honorius into England to king Henrie, presenting him with letters from the pope. The tenour whereof when the king had well considered, he declared to the legat, that without the whole assent of the estates of his realme, he could doo little in that which the pope as then required.
A parlement called.
Herevpon therefore he caused a parlement to be summoned at Westminster, there to be holden in the octaues of the Epiphanie: this legat also mooued the king in the behalfe of Fouks de Brent, that he might be restored to his possessions, and inioy his wife as before time he had doone: but the king declared that for his manifest treason committed he was iustlie exiled, and not onlie by his, but by the sentence of the nobles and other estates of the whole realme: which answer when the legat had heard, he left off to solicit the king for Fouks, and from thencefoorth talked no more of that matter. Shortlie after by waie of proxie, the said legat gathered a dutie which he claimed of the spiritualtie, that was of euerie conuentuall church within the realme two markes of siluer.
1226.
The king is sicke.
In this yeare the king held his Christmasse at Winchester, and after comming to Marlebridge, chanced there to fall sicke, so that he laie in despaire of life for certeine daies togither. In the meane time also came the daie appointed for the parlement to begin at Westminster, where the legat and other of the spiritualtie and temporaltie being assembled, the said Otho shewed the popes letters, and according to the tenour and purport of the same, was earnestlie in hand to haue the priests to grant the yearlie paiment of a certeine pension or tribute to the pope, towards the maintenance of his estate, which they generallie denied. When he saw that this bait would not take, he onelie demanded a tenth part of all their spirituall liuings for maintenance of the wars against the Saracens, which was easilie granted, as more reasonable than the first.
Matt. Westm.
Matth. Paris.
The cardinals request.