Page:The History of the Church & Manor of Wigan part 1.djvu/18

 King and the bishop of Lincoln with respect to the preferment of Maunsell, and the zeal with which the King took the part of his chaplain shews how highly he had already risen in his favour. The cause of the quarrel was this: the prebend of Thame (Tame in the county of Oxon.) being vacant, was given by the bishop of Lincoln to Master Simon of London, penitentiary to the bishop of Durham; but through the King's interposition a decree was obtained from the Pope by which John Maunsell obtained possession of it. The bishop was highly indignant with the King for his interference on behalf of his chaplain, and Henry being then in Wales prosecuting his wars with the Welsh, the archdeacons of Huntingdon and Leicester were sent by the bishop to reproach him for his conduct and admonish him to make amends for what he had done. This was refused by the King on the ground that an appeal had now been lodged with the Pope.

One of the archbishops who was present at the interview urged that the bishop had a special privilege granted to him by the Pope which exempted him from providing for any one at the command of the Apostolic See, unless special mention was made therein of that privilege; and since no such mention had been made in the papal order, the bishop was not bound to pay any heed to it. The archbishop, however, deprecated any further dispute in the matter, saying that, as Maunsell was a man of wisdom and learning, the bishop would be readily moved, at the request of the King and Maunsell, to provide him with as good or better preferment, which would be creditable to all parties; the bishop begs with all humility that no other settlement may be made; but he is prepared to pronounce the anathema against all those who shall injure, or encroach upon, the dignity of his church. When Maunsell, who was then in attendance upon the King, heard this message delivered before him and his council, he begged the King not to let him be the cause of any further dispute between them, saying that he was willing to give way, knowing that so long as the King lived he should be sufficiently provided for. Henry resolved, however,