Now when he perceiued no hope likelie to come for any redresse at the kings hands, he tooke an other way: and first by his pontificall authoritie accursed all those that withheld the same possessions, and all their mainteiners (the king excepted) and therewith appealing to the pope, he went to prosecute his appeale at Rome, whither the king and the earle sent also their procurators, and made the pope their arbitratour to iudge of the matter. In the end pope Gregorie hauing heard the whole processe of the controuersie, iudged the right to remaine with the archbishop, who hauing then obteined his desire, hasted toward England: but as he was returning homewards, he died by the way, not farre from Rome, whereby the popes iudgement tooke no place: for whilest the sée was void, there was none that would follow the suit: and such was the end of this controuersie for this time.
Ralfe Neuill elected arch. of Canturburie.
After the deceasse of this archbishop Richard, the moonks elected Ralfe Neuill bishop of Chichester the kings chancellor, an vpright man, and of iust dealing in all his dooings. In whome also it is to be noted, he would not giue one halfepenie to the moonks towards the bearing of their charges in their iournie to Rome, which they should take vpon them from thence to fetch his confirmation, according to the manner, least he should burthen his conscience with the crime of simonie which he greatlie abhorred, although some imputed this to procéed rather of a cloked spice of couetousnesse. Which practise of his maketh greatlie to the confounding of the indirect means now vsed to aspire vnto promotions, for the obteinment whereof no remedie is forborne; no, though the same be repugnant to reason, and vtterlie against conscience and honestie. But this is the temptation of auarice and ambition, which poison the minds of men in such sort, that rather than they will want their wished aduancement, they will vse these meanes that may further them most, namelie, fréendship, monie, and mightie mens countenance; which one noteth verie well in a distichon of neat deuise, saieng,
Artis, honestatis, recti, præcepta, decus, vim,
Conculcat, superant, spernunt, fauor, æra, potentes,
Simō Langtons report of the conditions of Ralfe Neuill.
But to the purpose from whence we are digressed. When the moonks came to the popes presence, vpon inquirie made, and chéefelie by report of Simon Langton, who (as some thinke) gaped for the dignitie, he vnderstood that the said Ralfe Neuill should be a man vnlearned, a courtier, hastie and short of word, and that which most displeased the pope, it was to be feared, that if he should be preferred to that roome, he would go about to deliuer the realme of England from the thraldome of the pope, and the court of Rome (into the which being made tributorie by king Iohn it had latelie béene brought) that (as he should alledge) it might serue God and holie church in the old accustomed libertie.
Sée before in pag. 307.
The Pope maketh void the election.
To bring this to passe (hauing the king thereto greatlie inclined, and all the realme readie to assist him in the same) he would not sticke to put his life in ieopardie, namelie vpon confidence of the right and appeales of Stephan the late archbishop of Canturburie, made in solemn wise before the altar of S. Paule in the cathedrall church of London, when king Iohn resigning his crowne into the hands of the legat, made that writing obligatorie most execrable to the whole world. When the pope had heard this tale told, he streit disanulled the election and request of the confirmation of the said Ralfe Neuill, granting libertie to the moonks to chose some other which might proue a wholsome shéepheard for the soule of man, profitable to the church of England, and a faithfull sonne to the sée of Rome, and so the moonks returning home, made relation to the couent how they had sped. After this, the moonks elected the prior of their house named Iohn to be their archbishop, who going to Rome for his confirmation, was persuaded in the end to renounce his election: so that at length one Edmund that was treasurer of the colledge of Salisburie, was elected, confirmed, and consecrated, a man of great zeale, being the foure & fortith archbishop that had gouerned that sée.