447. Welsh noblemen. The bishop, detesting this treachery, quitted Wales, excommunicated David, made his report of the barbarity to king Henry, and desired him to interpose for Griffin's enlargement. These two princes were both Henry's nephews, by his sister. Having, therefore, the motives both of relation and justice to engage him, he wrote a reprimanding letter to David, to give his brother his liberty, that without this he could neither wipe off the stain of the infidelity, nor be restored to the peace of the Church. David sent the king word, that if Griffin was released, the country would be immediately embroiled. Griffin, on the other hand, acquainted the king, that in case his highness would procure his enlargement, he would hold his territories of him, take an oath of allegiance, and pay him an yearly acknowledgment. The king, having an invitation from some others of the Welsh nobility, marched down with an army towards Chester. David being apprehensive that his lying under an excommunication might weaken his interest, and that his army was too small to defend himself against the king of England, came to terms, gave his brother Griffin his liberty, and sent him to king Henry. This Wales sub- prince gained nothing more than the exchange of the place mits to king of his confinement; for king Henry imprisoned him in the Tower with some other Welsh noblemen, who were sent for hostages. Soon after, David, according to articles, came up to London, and took an oath of allegiance to the king. And thus all Wales was made a province to the English crown, without the hazard or expense of a battle. Henry. Paris, P. 569, 570. The death of Roger, bishop of London. In this year, we are to assign the death of pope Gregory IX. and of Roger Niger, bishop of London. This latter prelate, besides what has been said of him already, was a person of great vigour in his administration: to give an instance; when Hubert de Burgh, earl of Kent, disgraced at court, and afraid of farther severities, took sanctuary in a chapel in the diocese of London; the king being extremely displeased with this minister, ordered his guards to drag him out for justice. Upon this, the bishop went to the king, complained of the breach of privilege, and threatened to excommunicate the guards unless Hubert was returned to the sanctuary. The king complied so far as to send him back, but ordered him to be so closely blocked up, that he III. was forced to surrender for fear of starving. However, the HENRY bishop did not cease to solicit the king till he had procured the earl's pardon. Matthew Paris gives him the character of a venerable and holy prelate, and that he was of a very hospitable and humane temper, and eminent for his learning and Paris, p. preaching. 576. empress. I shall close this year with the death of the empress Isa- Isabella, the bella, the king's sister, who was married to the emperor Frederick II. This princess, whom Matthew Paris calls the ornament of her country, died in childbirth in the beginning of December. tiones, Li tom. 1. p. 400. A. D. 1243. The next year, the king being ready to make a voyage A. D. 1242. into Gascony, put the administration into the hands of ConvenWalter, archbishop of York, and constituted him viceroy teræ, &c. of England. The new pope, Innocent IV., sent the king of England a An odd bull. provisional bull of pardon, that in case he should happen to lay violent hands upon any ecclesiasticks, and fall under the censure of the canons, he might receive absolution upon submitting to the customary penance. This bull was lodged in the hands of Boniface, elect of Canterbury, and was to stand in force only four years. Id. p. 417. between the Canterbury Lincoln. This year, there happened a dispute between the convent A dispute of Canterbury and the famous Robert Grosteste, bishop of convent of Lincoln. The occasion of it was this; a certain clergyman and the demanded a sum of money of the abbot of Bardeney, alleg- bishop of ing it was a debt contracted by the abbot's predecessors. The abbot refusing to satisfy the demand, and being cited first before the archdeacon, and then to the bishop of Lincoln's court, refused to appear: and after some farther contest, appealed to the convent of Canterbury. It seems, he was informed, that during the vacancy of the see of Canterbury, the convent of Christ's Church had the privilege of receiving appeals. The bishop of Lincoln looking upon this method as altogether irregular, and being displeased that a person in his diocese should make his appeal to the province, without first bringing the cause into his ordinary's court, deprived the abbot, and ordered the convent of Bardeney not to own him under that character any longer. When the convent of Canterbury were informed of these proceedings, and that their privilege of receiving appeals was thus 448. Paris, P. 601. 2. 5 Raley chos Winchester slighted by the bishop of Lincoln, they convened a chapter, and solemnly excommunicated the bishop of Lincoln for invading the rights of the see of Canterbury, and failing in the duty of a suffragan. When the instrument of excommunication was brought to the bishop, he trampled it under his feet, and ordered the messenger to be apprehended, adding withal, that he did not desire the monks should ever pray for his soul in any other language. In short, he despised the monks' censure, and executed the episcopal functions with the same freedom as formerly. Neither does he seem to have done anything in this matter, but what was warrantable by the authority of his character, and the practice of the ancient Church. For how the metropolitical jurisdiction should devolve upon a convent of monks, the best qualified of which, were no more than priests, is hard to imagine. To give priests an authority over bishops, and make a superior order liable to the censures of an inferior, is a contradiction to character, and inverting the order of the hierarchy. However, when the cause was afterwards brought to Rome, the convent of Canterbury pretended to this privilege both by common right and by grant from the pope. That the first branch of their plea was defective, appears by what has been said already; and as to their allegation of a papal grant, pope Innocent IV., in his letter to the convent, seems rather to deny it, and tells them expressly, that as yet they had never made use of any such privilege. But after all, he touches the point very tenderly; does neither expressly condemn, nor justify the proceedings of the convent, but only orders them to recall their censure. William Raley, bishop of Norwich, was elected by the en bishop of chapter of Winchester: and, notwithstanding the king's against the dissent, was confirmed in that see by the pope: and now king's liking. he was generally owned as bishop of Winchester. But the king was so displeased with the convent, for not choosing upon his recommendation, that he ordered the mayor of Winchester to shut the gates against the bishop. The mayor, obeying the order, was excommunicated, with the Id. p. 605. monks of that party, and the city of Winchester put under an interdict. The bishop finding himself not able to ride out the storm, retired into France, and was honourably received there. At last, by the mediation of the pope, and 607. Godwin in Boniface, archbishop of Canterbury, the king recalled HENRY Raley, and admitted him to favour. III. The misbe the Domini cans. There happened, about this time, a clash between the Dominicans and the Franciscans; the contest was upon haviour of points of preference, and dignity of order. And though cans and both these divisions were but of late erection, the Domini- Franciscans insisted upon the priority of their institution, the advantage of their habit, and the credit of their distinction, being called Predicatores, or the Preaching Fraternity: that this character had something of the apostolical function and dignity in it. The Minorites, or Franciscans, replied, that their order had greater marks of humility and mortification. That the preference, in these cases, ought to be measured by the degrees of discipline and self-denial. That for these considerations, theirs must be accounted the superior order, and that it would be a mark of improvement in the Dominicans to incorporate with them. And here the historian observes the surprising progress of these two orders in England; and that, notwithstanding they were lately planted, they were wonderfully improved in wealth and credit. Their cloisters were magnificent enough for a prince's palace, and nothing of their primitive poverty and profession was to be met with: when men of figure and fortune lay upon their death-beds, these monks were very careful to visit them. And thus, by encroaching upon the parochial clergy, and preferring their own order to all other spiritual guides, they prevailed with the sick to confess to them, and make clandestine wills for the benefit of their societies. In short, they ruined themselves up to such a general reputation, that few people thought they could be saved, unless they had a Dominican or a Franciscan for their director. And amidst all these pretences of sanctity, they were apparently swayed by interest and ambition: they made it their business to enlarge their privileges, and lie in the way of money and promotion, they made themselves masters of considerable posts at court: pressed up to the council-board; procured the management of the exchequer, negotiated marriages for princes and great men; and were extremely diligent in collecting the exactions of the court of Rome: and as for their preaching, they usually managed it very untowardly; their flights of satire and commendation were generally exces Paris, p. 611, 612. A remonstrance of the court of Rome. sive. And sometimes the secrets of confession were discovered by them. It was their custom to raise their own reputation upon the ruins of other orders: for instance; they accounted the discipline of the Cistercians, a rustick and unpolished rule. And as for the black monks, or Benedictines, they reckoned them no better than a proud epicurean clan. The English were now so harassed by the court of Rome, against the that they resolved to attempt a remedy, and make a puboppressions lick remonstrance. For, as to patience, and silent submission, they found there was no good to be done that way. They set forth in their complaint, "that these papal exactions were direct contradictions to primitive practice: that none of these demands were made in the time of St. Augustine, the English apostle. That when king Ethelbert endowed the churches of London, Canterbury, and Rochester, the revenues were designed for the clergy and monks of those places: they were intended to be spent at home, for the honour of religion, for the relief of the poor, and the benefit of the country: that other cathedrals and churches were endowed upon the same views, as appeared by the founders' charters; that this munificence of princes was always conveyed with reservations of service in three cases; that is, that the Church was bound to contribute her proportion in pontage, murage, and the expenses of war. Now, which way could these designs be answered? How could these services be performed, if the churches are thus polled by the court of Rome, and the revenues drawn off into foreign countries? And what is all this assistance for? Why, it is to enable his holiness to fight the emperor, that is, to put him into a condition for ravage and bloodshed; for burning of towns, and making a desolation in Christendom; and yet when the disciples asked our Saviour's permission to fight in his defence, saying, "Lord! shall we smite with the sword?" Our Saviour bid them put up their swords, and refused their service this way. They urged, that the emperor was nearly allied to the house of England: that the king's sister was married to that prince at the request of the Church, and that he had issue by her: and therefore, to enter into a contributtion against the emperor, was, in effect, to impoverish themselves, to confound the best blood in the kingdom, and |