R. Fabian.
Polydor.
Abington.
The cleargie hauing no speciall head, by reason that the sée of Canturburie was void, wist not well how to gouerne themselues. At length Oliuer bishop of Lincolne, required in all their names to haue thrée daies respit to make answer to the matter, the which time expired, they offered to the king two dismes to be paid within one yeare. The which when the king heard, he tooke great disdaine therewith, and threatned by some of his men of war to put the cleargie out of his protection, except they would grant to him the halfe of their goods. The cleargie put in feare herewith, and some of them also desirous to win the kings fauour, granted his request, and so the king at that time got the halfe part of euerie spirituall mans liuing and benefice for one yeares extent, to be paid in portions within thrée yeares next insuing, beginning at twentie marks benefice, & so vpwards. And the sooner to induce them herevnto, he promised the bishops to grant some thing that might be beneficiall to the cleargie, if they would demand it.
The prelates require to haue the statute of Mortmain repealed.
The K. shifteth them off.
N. Triuet.
The bishops taking councell togither, required of him that the statute of Mortmain might be repealed, which they saw to be most preiudiciall to their order. But the king answered them, that without the whole consent of a parlement he could not breake that ordinance, which by authoritie of parlement had béene once established, and therefore he wished that they would not require that thing which laie not in him to grant, and so by that means he shifted them off. The spiritualtie was not onelie charged with this subsidie, but they of the temporaltie were also burthened. For the citizens and burgesses of good townes gaue to the king the sixt part of their goods, and the residue of the people gaue the tenth part.
The Welshmen are busie.
Madoc.