Page:English Historical Review Volume 37.djvu/44

36 the next day he left them near Gillingham. On their arrival in London they probably lodged with the papal collector, Geoffrey of Vezano, who had a permanent office for the collection of Peter's pence and other dues.

On 8 July they issued a mandate for the collection of procurations in which it was stated that they had examined trustworthy witnesses, and had learnt from them that when Cardinal Ottoboni was in England from 1265 to 1268 he levied a procuration of six marks each year from archbishops and bishops, abbots, priors, deans, provosts and archdeacons, rural deans and other prelates and ecclesiastical persons, the religious and others, their chapters and convents both of orders which were exempt from episcopal visitation and of those which were subject to it. They appointed collectors in every diocese, e.g. in that of London the bishop's official and the dean of St. Paul's, in those of Norwich and Ely the bishop's official and the sacrist of the cathedral monastery, and commanded them under pain of excommunication to collect the procuration of six marks and pay it over within a month. They published the papal bulls about their procurations at an assembly of the bishops of the province of Canterbury in London on 15 July. Some of the collectors protested that they could find no precedent for the collection of Cardinal Ottoboni's procuration and therefore they did not know how to act. In reply the cardinals issued a general mandate, dated 25 July, to archbishops, bishops, and their collectors in every diocese, notifying them that they intended to have the procuration of six marks from all dignitaries and religious houses as they had previously stated. If, however, any of the religious houses were so burdened by poverty that they could not pay, the collectors must require the archbishops and bishops to nominate certain rectors of parishes who could find the money without difficulty, so that the full amount might be got in.

There is some evidence of opposition to the collectors. On 25 August the king forbade the bishop of London's official and the dean of St. Paul's to exact any procuration from the dean and chapter of his free chapel of St. Martin-le-Grand, and it is probable that he protected his free chapels in other dioceses, e.g. Hastings. The collectors demanded payment of the procuration of six marks from the monks of Westminster as well as from the abbot, and the monks sent their proctors, Reginald of Hadham