Page:English Historical Review Volume 37.djvu/46

38 The cardinals returned to France and made Paris their headquarters, but as the truce which preceded the peace between England and France was not signed until 1297, they levied procurations not at the flat rate of six marks as in 1295, but at fourpence in the mark for the second year, and at threepence in the mark for the third year, on the new assessment of the spiritualities and temporalities of the church which was known as the Taxation of Pope Nicholas. In the second and third year they ordered procurations to be collected, for the first time, from rectors and vicars of parish churches.

The effect of this change was that all who were assessed at under £240 would pay less than six marks at the rate of fourpence, but the bishops and the larger monasteries would be liable for a much higher amount, and in fact a heavy supertax was imposed upon them. The amount due from the archbishop of Canterbury for the second year was over £47, and the bishop of Salisbury actually paid £25 for the second year and £18 15s. 0d. in the third year as against £4 in the first year. Moreover, at a rough estimate the yield of the procurations for the second and third year for the two provinces of Canterbury and York would be £9,000, an enormous burden to be borne wholly by the church for the peace mission of the two cardinals.

The mandate for the levy for the second year was dated at Paris on 9 October 1296, and was addressed to archbishops and bishops in England and Wales; they were ordered to arrange for the demand to reach all who were liable within a month of receiving the mandate, and the procuration was due to be paid within a month of the demand and delivered in London to the firm of merchants who were acting as the cardinals' agents, the Clarenti of Pistoia. These merchants had a safe-conduct which was renewed from time to time by Edward I, who also issued a mandate that all persons who refused to pay procurations should, after excommunication, be compelled thereto in due manner. Nevertheless the procurations were in arrear, and on 30 April 1297 the cardinals wrote from Paris to give the resident papal collector, Geoffrey of Vezano, the power to absolve the many persons who had incurred the penalty of excommunication for non-payment. On 22 August 1297 Geoffrey sent a letter to the archbishops and bishops urging them to collect the procurations and notifying them of his power to absolve offenders; he was