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Subsidy for war

• Transcript of the document
• Translation of the document

[Back to medieval race history]

Transcript

Willelmus etc dilecto in Cristo filio Archidiacono nostro Ebor’ seu eius officiali Salutem etc Noveritis nos litteras reverendissimi in Cristo principis et domini domini Edwardi dei gratia Regis Anglie et Francie et domini Hibernie vicesimo secundo die instantis mensis Junii cum ea qua decuit reverencia recepisse tenorem qui sequitur continentem. Most Reverent fadir in god Right trusty and Right Welbelovid we grete you Wele Wher our holy fadir [fo. 346r] the pope determined to put his personne in to the blissed viage by his holynesse preposed ageinst the tyrannye and crueltie of the Turkes disposed to thextreme destruction of Cristen feith and Religion and of all cristes chirch hath desired thassistence therin of diverses grete and noble Cristen printes and by syd for the same entent put grete Imposicione and charges upon the chirch in al other Reamnes of Cristendome Willyng and desyring the charge of a disine to be born of the chirche of our Reamne of Englond toward the socour of [of repeated] the saide viage by his bulles comen as we here in to our saide Reamne Whe havyng the same chirch and the clergie therof in tendre love and affecton dreding the Peril and inconveniency that myght folowe by thexample of such Imposicions heraftir Wherof the lyke hath noht ben of tymes put in ure in the dayes of our noble progenitors Right lothe to suffre suche new imposicons take effect in our dayes be advised and condescended to send with all diligence unto the said holynesse and admocion of the execucion of the said Imposicon but also to entreate and meve the said holynesse to spare and forbarre to charge the said church and clergie with the said Imposicon or any like therto wherunto we mowe honorably resounably or thankfully move his said holynesse in this time of so grete a purpose by hym determined for the defense and salvacion of the said feith and Religion namely sith the charge of his desire to be born by the saide church is not so grevous and weyghty as the charges and Imposicons by hym layd upon the chirche of all other Reamnes withoute that we take upon us a notable charge and yift of god to hym toward the said viage in eschewyng gretter charges that ellez peraventur and by verray lyklyhoode Wold be laide upon the said chirche and clergie otherwise in Right perillous example Which we ne Wald in any Wyse . we therfore desire exhorte and pray you that it like yow to do Write severaly lettres to every your suffreaganes of your province desiring exhorting and Requiring hym for the said consideracons to call and assemble the clergie of his diocese exempt and not exempt to a convenient place within the same . And ther exhort Require and mow hem to graunt us a Subsidie of Suche a notable Summe of money to be levied in al hast as mowe honourably resounably and thankfully please and content our saide holy fadir and serve hym in tyme to the releve of the said viage for the said defence Which shallbe to the grete pleasor of god grete honor and laud to our said Reamne and grete Reste and quiete of the clergie therof to be assured from charge of the said Imposicons And for somoche as We understand that the collectors of the clergie of every of the said dioceses assigned for to gadir Subsidie or other things by the saide clergie graunted to us or to other to our use hertofore have drad and eschewed to be countable therfor at our Eschequire We Willyng suche dred to be amoved in this case . have named unto yow and othir lordes of our counseale being at London vi personnes that is to say our trusty and welbeloved clerk Maiaster William Say dean of our chapell, our Welbeloved chapeleyns Maister Thomas Chichele and Maister John Flemyng and our Right trusty and Welbeloved counseillours Sir John Scott knight John Denham and Thomas Colt Wherof iii be spiritual and iii temporall thay vi . v . iiii. iii or ii of thayme aftir thair discretions to be deputed for to Receyve of the collectors that shall in this case be assigned by the said clergie such god as it shallik thayme to us to the said blissid purpose to thentent that the said collectours shalnot be chargeable of a compt therfor at our said Eschequir yeven undir our signet at our Citie of york the xith day of Juyn. Cum igitur prefatus Serenissimus in Cristo princeps pro quodam Subidio infra nostram provincian Ebor’ providendo et propter defencionem Sacrosancte et universalis ecclesie et totius populi Cristiani cum omni festinacione possibili levando et persolvendo nos efficacissime dignatus sit exhortari prout ex sue serentitatis litteris predictis lucrilevans poterit intueri . Unde nos huiusmodi litteras Regias executioni debite demandari et effectum celerem sortiri cupientes Premissaque et inter alia crudelitatem et tirannidem dictorum Turcorum quod non sine cordis amaritudine referimus considerantes Ad quorum vero turcorum et eis adherencium maliciam nequiciamque reprimendam et annuente domino restringendam Ac ad illibatam Cristiane fidei prosperique status universalis ecclesie conservacionem sicuti ex nostri pastoralis officii debito astringimus omnem operum et diligenciam nostram quantum in nobis est cum dei adiutorio feudo curabimus adhibere Quocirca [fo. 346v] vobis tam virtute litterarum Regnarum predictarum quam auctoritae nostra ordinaria et metropolitica mandamus vosque tenore presencium peremptorie citamus ac per vos omnes et singulos abbates et priores tam exemptos quam non exemptos ac totum clerum dicti archidiaconatus et iurisdictionis de Selby et Snaith per vos citari volumus et mandamus quatinus vos ac dicti abbates et priores personaliter dictusque clerus archidiaconatus predicti per dominos et jurisdictionem antedictam per unum procuratores idoneos et sufficientes legitime constitutos In ecclesia parochiali de Doncastr’ dicte nostre diocesis terciodecimo die mensis Julii proxima futuro post datum presencium coram nobis seu commissariis nostris in ea parte deputandis comparatis et compareant Super hiis que in dictis litteris Regis superis continentis una nobiscum seu commissariis nostris predictis ac aliis prelatis et clero quos tunc ibidem presentes esse contigerit tractaturos ac vestrum et eorum sanum consilium in et de premissis impensuris ulteriusque facturis et recepturis quod ibidem pro communi utilitate ecclesie et regni divina bonitas concesserit ordinari Et qualiter presens mandatum nostrum fueritis executi nos circa dictum tertiodecimum diem Julii distincte et aperte certificare curetis litteris vestris patentibus habentibus hunc tenorem autentice sigillatum Datum sub sigillo nostro in manerio nostro de Suthwell’ vicesimo tercio die mensis Junii anno domini millesimo ccccmo sexagesimo quarto nostrarumque consecrationis anno decimo septimo Et translacionis Duodecimo

Translation

William etc to his beloved son in Christ, the archdeacon of York, or his official, greetings. Know that we have received letters of our most reverend prince and lord in Christ, lord Edward, king of England and France and lord of Ireland , with all due reverence, on the 22 June, the content of which follows:

Most reverend father in God, right trusty and right well beloved, we greet you well. Where our holy father the pope, determined to put his person in to the blessed voyage proposed against the tyranny and cruelty of the Turks, disposed to the extreme destruction of Christian faith and religion and of all Christ’s Church, hath desired the assistance there in of divers great and noble Christian princes and beside for the same intent put great imposition and charges upon the Church in all other realms of Christendom, willing and desiring the charge of a design to be born of the Church of our realm of England towards the succour of the said voyage by his bulls [that is papal documents sealed with his lead seal] coming as we hear into our said realm, we, having the same Church and the clergy thereof in tender love and affection, dreading the peril and inconvenience that might follow by the example of such impositions hereafter, whereof the like hath not been oft time put in use of our noble progenitors, right loath to suffer such new impositions [to] take effect in our days, be advised and condescended to send with all diligence unto the said Holiness and admonition of the said execution of the said imposition but also to entreat and move the said Holiness to spare and forbear to charge the said Church and clergy with the said imposition or any like thereto, where unto we most honourably, reasonably or thankfully move his said Holiness in the time of so great a purpose by him determined for the defence and salvation of the said faith and religion, namely thus, that the charge of his desire to be born by the said church is not so grievous and weighty as the charges and impositions by him laid upon the Church of all other realms without that we take upon us a notable charge and gift of God to him toward the said voyage in eschewing greater charges that else perhaps and by very likelihood would be laid upon the said Church and clergy, otherwise in right perilous example which we would not in any wise. We therefore desire, exhort and pray you that it like you to do write severally letters to every your suffragans of your province, desiring, exhorting and requiring him for the said considerations to call and assemble the clergy of his diocese, exempt and not exempt, to a convenient place within the same, and there exhort, require and move them to grant us a subsidy of such a notable sum of money to be levied in all haste as most honourably, reasonably and thankfully please and content our holy father and serve him in time to the relief of the said voyage for the said defence, which shall be to the great pleasure of God, great honour and laud to our said realm and great rest and quiet of the clergy thereof to be assured from charge of the said impositions. And for so much as we understand that the collectors of the clergy of every of the said dioceses assigned for to gather subsidy or other things by the said clergy granted to us or to other to our use heretofore have eschewed to be accountable therefore at our exchequer. We willing such dread to be removed in this case have named unto you and other lords of our council being at London 6 persons, that is to say our trusty and well beloved clerk Master William Say, dean of our chapel, our well beloved chaplains Master Thomas Chichele and Master John Flemyng and our right trusty and well beloved councillors Sir John Scott, knight, John Denham and Thomas Colt, whereof 3 be spiritual and 3 temporal, they 6, 5, 4, 3 or 2 of them after their discretions to be deputed for to receive of the collectors that shall in this case be assigned by the said clergy such good as it shall like them to us to the said blessed purpose to the intent that the said collectors shall not be chargeable of account therefore at our said Exchequer. Given under our signet at our city of York the 11th day of June.

Since, therefore, our aforesaid most serene prince in Christ, for a certain subsidy to be provided within our province of York and to be levied and paid with all possible haste on account of the defence of the Holy and universal Church and all Christian people, urges us, as is clear in his aforesaid letters, to urge the levying of this money, we, desiring to have such royal instructions carried out, the money owed to be demanded and collected quickly and considering the aforementioned information, including the cruelty and tyranny of the said Turks, to which we refer not without bitterness of heart, desiring to punish the malice and evil of the Turks and their adherents and to restrain them with the Lord’s approval and to conserve the integrity of the Christian faith and the prosperous state of the universal Church, we enjoin (as is due by our pastoral office) and take care to undertake this work, as much as we can, with the help of God. Therefore we mandate to you, as much by virtue of the aforesaid royal letters as by our authority as ordinary and metropolitan [that is as a bishop and archbishop] and we order you, by the present writing to cite every abbot and prior, exempt and not exempt, and all the clergy from the said archdeaconry and the jurisdictions of Selby and Snaith, and we order that you and the said abbots and priors and the said clergy of the aforesaid archdeaconry through their lords, and the aforesaid jurisdictions through suitable and sufficient protors legitimately established, should appear in the parish church of Doncaster in our diocese on the 13 July next after the date of the present writing before us or our commissioners deputed for the purpose, so that these things shall be carried out which are contained in the said royal letters above, with your and their wise counsel, and the divine goods shall be conceded for the common good of the Church and of the kingdom. And so that you should make sure the present mandate is executed we have sealed this document. Given on the 3 June in the year 1364 in the seventh year since our consecration and the twelfth since our translation.