About the same time, to wit, the 14 of Aprill, died Leolin prince of Wales, and then followed contention betwixt his sons Griffin and Dauid for the principalitie, which at length Dauid obteined through king Henries support (though he were the yoonger brother) bicause he was begot in lawful bed on the sister of king Henrie. The whole countrie of Wales was maruellouslie in trouble about their quarels. At length, a daie of méeting was appointed betwixt them, to grow by waie of talke vnto some quiet end; and Griffin meaning no deceit, came in peaceable wise with Richard bishop of Bangor and others to the place assigned, where they should haue met. But Dauid by a traine tooke Griffin, and committed him to prison, wherevpon afterwards, the yeare insuing, by continuall plaint and earnest sute of the bishop of Bangor, king Henrie entred Wales with an armie, and constreined Dauid to submit himselfe, and to deliuer the said Griffin into his hands, and further also to put in suerties to appeare at London, there to receiue such order in the kings courts, as to him by law should be orderlie awarded. Griffin ap Maddocke and diuerse other great lords of Wales ioined with the king in this iournie against Dauid, as in the next yeare ye shall further heare.
King Henrie aided the pope with monie against the emperour.
About the same time, there was great strife and contention still remaining betwixt the emperour Frederike and pope Innocent the fourth that succéeded Celestine the fourth, in somuch that sore and mortall warre followed. But king Henrie by the procurement of the legat Otho, aided the pope with monie, though he was somewhat loth to doo it, bicause the said emperour had married his sister. Indéed, the emperour wrote to the king to staie his hand, but the diligence of that legat was such in furthering his masters businesse, that the monie was gone ouer yer the emperours letters came. At this time also, Edmund the archbishop of Canturburie greatlie disalowed the often exactions and subsidies which the legat caused dailie to be leuied of the English clergie. Howbeit, in hope to haue his purpose the rather against the moonks of Canturburie, with whom he was at variance, he first granted to the legats request made on the popes behalfe in a synod holden at Reading, for the hauing of the fift part of spirituall mens reuenues, and so by his example others were inforced to doo the like.
Complaint to the king of the collections made for the pope.
The answer of the king.
Furthermore he gaue eight hundred marks to the pope, but whether of his owne frée will, or by constreint, I cannot saie; but now vtterlie misliking all things doone by the legat contrarie to his mind, after he had doone and said what he could for redresse, and when he saw no hope at hand for anie reformation either in the king or legat, who estéemed not his words, as a man not longer able to sée his countrie so spoiled, he went ouer into France, and got him vnto Pontney, there to remaine in voluntarie exile, after the example of his predecessour Thomas Becket, whose dooings he did follow in verie manie things. Verelie the collections of monie, which the pope in these daies by his legats gathered here in this realme, were great and sundrie, so that (as it appeareth by historiographers of this time) the cleargie and other found themselues sore grieued, and repined not a little against such couetous dealings and vnmeasurable exactions, in so much that they spake to the king of it, and said; "Right famous prince, whie suffer you England to be made a prey and desolation to all the passers by, as a vineyard without an hedge, common to the waifaring man, and to be destroied of the bores of the field, sith you haue a sufficient priuilege that no such exactions should be made in this kingdome. And suerlie he is not worthie of a priuilege which abuseth the same being granted." The king answered those that went thus about to persuade him, that "he neither would nor durst gainsaie the pope in any thing:" and so the people were brought into miserable despaire.
Polydor.
The causes that mooued archbishop Edmund to depart the realme.
Matth. West.
Matth. Paris.