1296-09-24, Alnwick

Writs. ] like to the citizens and men of the cities of Chichester, Winchester, Exeter, Hereford, Worcester, Norwich, and Chester, and to and men of Southampton, Bristol, Gloucester, Salop, Oxford, Leicester, Cambridge, Nottingham, Derby, Scarborough, Ipswich and Dunwich. [Jbid.] G. bishop of Sabina. The king has received his letters brought by of the presents on behalf of Master James, nephew of Sir Neapoleonis, cardinal deacon of St. Lucy in Silice, the king's friend, upon the matter of the collation of the church of in the diocese of Canterbury, made to him by pope V in the Roman court and of the subsequent confirmation same by pope Boniface, and has carefully considered their contents. As the king was at the time of the receipt of the letters greatly occupied about the expedition of his war in Scotland and he had not then the presence of skilled men, it was necessary for him to defer giving such an answer, as the nature of the case demanded, until the end of the war and his return to Berwick-on-Tweed. After taking council of treaty upon this matter with the prelates and certain others of his councillors and with the magnates and proceres of his realm there specially assembled, and after full examination and discussion of the matter, the king was advised by them and it was clearly proved by many evidences (racionibus) and examples that this collation if put into effect would redound to the grievous prejudice and manifest disinheritance of the king and his heirs and to the very great injury of his royal crown, whose rights he is bound by oath to maintain harmless in all things. The king, however, wishes the bishop to know that if the king could find any suitable way whereby he could tolerate such a collation with equanimity without prejudice to the royal right that he and his predecessors have always used heretofore and without injury to his crown and without violation of the oath taken by him, which the bishop, he believes, would not persuade him to incur, he would, out of consideration for the bishop and the other cardinals specially interceding for James, have acceded to the bishop's desires in this matter. Since what the bishop asks cannot be done for the reasons aforesaid, the king requests him to hold him excused both for this matter and for the delay in answering. The king intends at a fitting time and place to provide Master James with some other suitable benefice, if it shall then occur to his memory, out of respect for the bishop and the cardinals. [Cf. writ of privy seal (now in Ancient Correspondence, Vol. XII, No. 99) in Prynne, Records, iii, p. 681.]