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 RELIGIOUS HOUSES Archbishop Peckham involved himself in a difficulty with Edward I for excommunicating the dean who had opposed the exercise of any jurisdiction but his own in Newport,'* and the same king utterly forbade procurations to be exacted from St. Martin's on behalf of two car- dinals in 1295.*' The procurations demanded by the papal nuncio in 1309,'" and by the col- lectors of the cardinal of Sts. Marcellinus and Peter, and the cardinal of St. Mary in Via Lata in 13 17 were likewise prohibited by the king who in 1 3 13 ordered the bishop of London to refrain from his attempt to exercise authority in St. Martin's and the churches annexed.'^ Although the king in pursuance of his policy with regard to the royal chapels had refused to allow papal provisions to prebends, he yet re- ceived the support of the pope. Clement V in 1306 forbade delegates or sub- delegates of the pope to promulgate sentences of excommunication, suspension or interdict against the king or his chapels without special licence of the apostolic see,'* and in 1317 John XXII inhibited any ordinary, delegate, or sub-delegate to publish sentences, or do anything contrary to the exemptions of the king's free chapels." This freedom from all authority except that of the king, while it secured for the college a powerful position against the outside world, had drawbacks both material and spiritual. From the first the deanery was held by a royal official, and in many cases it can only have been bestowed for services to the king without any regard to the recipient's fitness for such a post. Dean Guy de Rossilian was freed in 1248 by papal indul- gence from the obligation to take holy orders,'^ and William de Marchia, the treasurer, dean in 1 29 1, was only a sub-deacon.'' It must be re- membered, too, that the canons, who were appointed by the dean," were of the same class as himself, clerks attached to the households of royal or noble personages," and holding many ^ Reg. Eplst. John Peckham (Rolls Ser.), i, i 84. ^' Cal. of Close, 1288-96, p. 423. '° Ibid. 1307-13, p. 236. "Ibid. I 313-18, p. 596. "Ibid. 84. "Hen. Ill in 1238 opposed the attempt of the legate to give a prebend in St. Martin's to a clerk in virtue of papal letters. Cal. of Pat. 1232-47, p. 227. In 1303 Edw. I ordered the dean and chapter to ignore the papal provisions made to Henry nato Braunche de Sarracenis. Reg. fol. 20. Lansd. 170, fol. 71^. '* R)mer, Foedera (Rec. Com.), i (4), 45 ; Kcmpe, op. cit. 89. " Cal. of Pap. Letters, ii, 43 3. 'Mbid. i, 242. "Ibid, i, 530. " The right was granted by John to Richard Brlger with the deanery in 1 199 (Cart. Antiq. H (l), and Harl. 6748, fol. 18), and was given to the dean for ever by the charter of Hen. Ill to Walter de Kirkeham. Cott. MS. Claud. D, ii, fol. 129^. " C<j/. of Pap. Letters, ii, 39, 233, 286, 294, 323, 395 ; (^'"l- ofP^p. Petitms, i, 49, 73, 381, 589. benefices besides their prebends.*" This does not imply a slur on their conduct, but it would give a reason why the discipline, always less in a college of secular priests than in a body belong- ing to an order, may have been still further relaxed in this instance. In fact St. Martin's can always be better imagined as a corporation of officials than as a religious house. It seems indeed as if the spiritual side of the place was felt to be somewhat lacking as early as the be- ginning of the thirteenth century, or there would have been no need for Geoffrey de Boclande to make provision for the canons who left the college for a stricter rule.*' Since many of the deans may be said to have owed their appointment to their administrative ability, it might be presumed that the college suffered from maladministration less than other religious bodies. On the other hand it is quite as likely to have been neglected while the dean occupied himself with the king's business or pur- sued his own interests, and in support of this theory it may be remarked that Peter of Savoy while dean seems to have spent almost all his time abroad,*^ and could have felt little pride in his church or he would not have violated its customs by committing the task of hearing the accounts of its chamberlains and other ministers to persons who did not belong to St. Martin's, and who appointed places outside for this busi- ness.*' It is, too, at least doubtful whether most of the deans who received higher preferment ** were not promoted for services to the king rather than to St. Martin's. The state of the college in 1323 therefore hardly causes surprise. It was found then that books and ornaments were lacking ; that the officers and other ministers left undone the duties for which they received their stipends, and raised quarrels and scandals among themselves, while some led dissolute lives elsewhere, and that the sums which should have been devoted to the ^ The Calendar of Papal Letters is full of dispensa- tions to them to hold several benefices, see, i, 577; ii, 4> 19, 39' 53,72> 121, 205, &c. " Doc. of D. and. C. of Westm. St. Martin le Grand, parcel 2. " In April, 1298, he went to Rome. Cal. of Pat. 1 292-1 30 1, p. 337. The next year he was still abroad. Ibid. 404. Royal letters of protection issued in 1302, 1304, and 1305 show that he was not in England then. Ibid. 1 301— 7, pp. 28, 234, 316. ^ Appeal of Giles de Audenardo, chamberlain of St. Martin's, on behalf of his fellow canons against the dean in 1 301. Doc. of D. and C. of Westm. St. Martin le Grand, parcel 4, No. 13268. ^ The number is considerable. Godfrey de Lucy became bishop of Winchester in 1 1 89, William de Ste. Mire Eglise, bishop of London in 11 99, Luke was promoted to the see of Dublin in 1229, Henry de Wengham to the see of London in 1260, William de Champvent to Lausanne, 1274, William of Louth to Ely in 1290, Peter of S.ivoy to Lyons in I 308. 559