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Hot in the ) finled s'k/s. Co lex. Tit. 5. c. 1. Great sums of moDey }inve been couvcyeil out of the realm, &c. for first- fruits of arclibishop- ricks and bishopricks, fwitbout which ilis- jiatch could not be had at the see of Kome) to the inipo- verisliingof the nation, and some- times the ruin'of the friends of the persons promoted, 23 HENRY VIII. Cap. XX. An act concerning restraint oj jxiyment of Annates to thi Rome. see 0/ Forasmuch as it is tvell perceived, hy long approved experience, that great and inestimable sums of money have been daily conveyed out of this realm, to the impoverishment of the same ; and especially snch su)iis of money as the Pope's holiness, his predecessors, and the court of Rome, hy long time have heretofore taken of all and singular those spiritual persons which have been named, elected, presented, or posttdated to be archbishops or bishops within this realm of England, under the title of Annates, otherwise ccdled first-fruits : tvhich Annates, or first-friiits, have been taken of every archbishoprick, or bishoprick, within this realm,, by restraint oJ the Pope's bulls, for confir^nations, elections, admissions, postu- lations, provisions, collations, dispositions, institutions, installa- tions, investitures, orders, holy benedictions, pcdles, or other things requisite and necessary to the attai^iing of those their promotions ; and have been compelled to pay, before they coidd attain the same^ great sums of money, before they might receive any p)art of the fruits of the said archbishoprick, or bishoprick, whereunto they xoere named, elected, presented, or postulated ; by occasion whereof not only the treasure of tins realm hath been greatly conveighed out of the same, but also it hath hajypened many times, by occasion of death, imto snch archbishops, and bishops, so newly promoted, within two or tltree years after his or their consecration, that Ins or their friends, by whom, he or they have been holpen to advance and make payment of the said Annates, or first-fruits, have be^n thereby utterly undone and impoverished : and for because the said Annates have risen, groicn, and encreased, by an uncliaritable