have had, and obtained compleatly, their Bulls, and other things requisite in that behalf from the Court of Rome. And also shall fully and entirely have and enjoy all the Spiritualities and Temporalities of the said Arch-Bishoprick or Bishoprick, in as large, ample, and beneficial manner, as any of his or their Predecessors had, or enjoyed in the said Arch-Bishoprick, or Bishoprick, satisfying and yielding unto the King our Sovereign Lord, and to his Heirs and Successors, Kings of England, all such Duties, Rights, and Interests, as before this time had been accustomed to be paid for any such Arch-Bishoprick, or Bishoprick, according to the Ancient Laws and Customs of this Realm, and the King's Prerogative Royal. And to the intent our said Holy Father the Pope, and the Court of Rome, shall not think that the pains and labours taken, and hereafter to be taken, about the writing, sealing, obtaining, and other businesses sustained, and hereafter to be sustained, by the Offices of the said Court of Rome, for and about the Expedition of any Bulls hereafter to be obtained or had for any such Arch-Bishoprick, or Bishoprick, shall be irremunerated, or shall not be sufficiently and condignly recompensed in that behalf; And for their more ready expedition to be had therein, it is therefore enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That every Spiritual Person of this Realm, hereafter to be named, presented, or postulated, to any Arch-Bishoprick or Bishoprick of this realm, shall and may lawfully pay for the writing and obtaining of his or their said Bulls, at the Court of Rome, and ensealing the same with Lead, to be had without payment of any Annates, or First-Fruits, or other charge or exaction by him or them to be made, yielden, or paied for the same, five pounds Sterling, for and after the rate of the clear and whole yearly value of every hundreth pounds Sterling, above all charges of any such Arch-Bishoprick, or Bishoprick, or other mony, to the value of the said five pounds, for the clear yearly value of every hundreth pounds, of every such Arch-bishoprick, or Bishoprick, and not above, nor in any other wise, any thing in this present Act before written notwithstanding. And forasmuch as the King's Highness, and this his High Court of Parliament, neither have, nor do intend to use in this, or any other like cause, any manner of extremity or violence, before gentle courtesie or friendship, ways and means first approved and attempted, and without a very great urgent cause and occasion given to the contrary, but principally coveting to disburden this Realm of the said great exactions, and intolerable charges of Annates, and First-Fruits, have therefore thought convenient to commit VOL. I, PART II.

N

the final order and determination of the Premisses, in all things, unto the King's Highness. So that if it may seem to his high wisdom, and most prudent discretion, meet to move the Pope's Holiness, and the Court of Rome, amicably, charitably, and reasonably, to compound, other to extinct and make frustrate the payments of the said Annates, or First-Fruits; or else by some friendly, loving, and tolerable composition to moderate the same in such wise as may be by this Realm easily born and sustained; That then those ways and compositions once taken, concluded, and agreed, between the Pope's Holiness and the King's Highness, shall stand in strength, force, and effect of Law, inviolably to be observed. And it is also further ordained, and enacted by the Authority of this present Parliament, That the King's Highness at any time, or times, on this side the Feast of Easter, which shall be in the Year of our Lord God, a thousand five hundred and three and thirty, or at any time on this side the beginning of next Parliament, by his Letters Patents under his Great Seal, to be made, and to be entred of Record in the Roll of this present Parliament, may and shall have full power and liberty to declare, by the said Letters Patents, whether that the Premises, or any part, clause, or matter thereof, shall be observed, obeyed, executed, and take place and effect, as an Act and Statute of this present Parliament, or not. So that if his Highness, by his said Letters Patents, before the expiration of the times above-limited, thereby do declare his pleasure to be, That the Premises, or any part, clause, or matter thereof, shall not be put in execution, observed, continued, nor obeyed, in that case all the said Premises, or such part, clause, or matter, as the King's Highness so shall refuse, disaffirm, or not ratifie, shall stand and be from henceforth utterly void and of none effect. And in case that the King's Highness, before the expiration of the times afore-prefixed, do declare by his said Letters Patents, his pleasure and determination to be, that the said Premisses, or every clause, sentence, and part thereof, that is to say, the whole, or such part thereof as the King's Highness so shall affirm, accept, and ratifie, shall in all points stand, remain, abide, and be put in due and effectual execution, according to the purport, tenour, effect, and true meaning of the same; and to stand and be from henceforth for ever after, as firm, steadfast, and available in the Law, as the same had been fully and perfectly established, enacted, and confirmed, to be in every part thereof, immediately, wholly, and entirely executed, in like manner, form, and effect, as other Acts and Laws; The which being fully and determinately made, ordained,

and enacted in this present Parliament: And if that upon the foresaid reasonable, amicable, and charitable ways and means, by the King's Highness to be experimented, moved, or compounded, or otherwise approved, it shall and may appear, or be seen unto his Grace, that this Realm shall be continually burdened and charged with this, and such other intollerable Exactions and demands, as heretofore it hath been; And that thereupon, for continuance of the same, our said Holy Father the Pope, or any of his Successors, or the Court of Rome will or do or cause to be done at any time hereafter, so as is above rehearsed, unjustly, uncharitably, and unreasonably vex, inquiet, molest, trouble, or grieve our said Sovereign Lord, his Heirs or Successors, Kings of England, or any of his or their Spiritual or Lay-Subjects, or this his Realm, by Ex-communication, Excomengement, Interdiction, or by any other Process, Censures, Compulsories, Ways, or means; Be it Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That the King's Highness, his Heirs and Successors, Kings of England, and all his Spiritual and Lay-Subjects of the same, without any scruples of Conscience, shall and may lawfully, to the honour of Almighty God, the encrease and continuance of vertue and good example within this Realm, the said Censures, Excommunications, Interdictions, Compulsories, or any of them notwithstanding, minister, or cause to be ministered, throughout this said Realm, and all other the Dominions or Territories belonging or appertaining thereunto; All and all manner Sacraments, Sacramentals, Ceremonies, or other Divine Services of the Holy Church, or any other thing or things necessary for the health of the Soul of Mankind, as they heretofore at any time or times have been vertuously used or accustomed to do within the same; and that no manner such Censures, Excommunications, Interdictions, or any other Process or Compulsories, shall be by any of the Prelates, or other Spiritual Fathers of this Region, nor by any of their Ministers or Substitutes, be at any time or times hereafter published, executed nor divulged, nor suffered to be published, executed, or divulged in any manner of ways. Cui quidem Billæ Prædictæ etad plenum intellecta per dictum Dominum Regem ex assensu et Autoritate Parliamenti prædicti taliter est Responsum.

Le Roy le Volt.

Soit Baille aux comunes

A cest Bille Les contunes sont assentes.

MEMORAND. quod nono die Julii, Anno Regni Regis Henrici vicesimo quinto, idem Dominus Rex per Literas suas Patentes sub magno sigillo suo sigillat. Actum præ

dictum ratificavit et confirmavit, et actui illo assensum suum regium dedit, prout per easdem Literas Patentes cujus tenor sequitur in hæc verba, magis apte constat.

Here follows the King's Ratification, in which the Act is again recited and ratified.

XLII.

The King's last Letter to the Pope. A Duplicate.
(Cotton Libr. Vitel. B. 13).

To the Pope's Holiness, 1532.

After most humble commendations, and most devout kissing of your blessed Feet. Albeit that we have hitherto differed to make answer to those Letters dated at Bonony, the 7th day of October; which Letters of late were delivered unto us. by Paul of Cassali: Yet when they appear to be written for this Cause, that we deeply considering the Contents of the same, should provide for the tranquillity of our own Conscience, and should purge such Scruples and Doubts conceived of our Cause of Matrimony; We could neither neglect those Letters sent for such a purpose, nor after that we had diligently examined and perpended the effects of the same, which we did very diligently, noting, conferring, and revolving every thing in them contained, with deep study of mind, pretermit ne leave to answer unto them. For sith that your Holiness seemeth to go about that thing chiefly, which is to vanquish those Doubts, and to take away inquietations which daily do prick our Conscience; insomuch as it doth appear at the first sight to be done of Zeal, Love, and Piety, we therefore do thank you of your good will. Howbeit sith it is not performed in Deed, that ye pretend, we have thought it expedient to require your Holiness to provide us other Remedies; wherefore forasmuch as your Holiness would vouchsafe to write unto us concerning this Matter, we heartily thank you, greatly lamenting also both the chance of your Holiness, and also ours, unto whom both twain it hath chanced in so high a matter of so great moment to be frustrated and deceived; that is to say, That your Holiness not being instructed, nor having knowledg of the Matter, of your self, should be compelled to hang upon the Judgment of others, and so put forth and make answers, gathered of other Men, being variable and repugnant among themselves. And that we being so long sick,

and exagitate with this same Sore, should so long time in vain look for Remedy; which when we have augmented our ægritude and distress, by delay and protracting of time, ye do so cruciate the Patient and Afflicted, as who seeth it should much avail to protract the Cause, and thorough vain hope of the end of our desire to lead us whither ye will. But to speak plainly to your Holiness; Forasmuch as we have suffered many Injuries, which with great difficulty we do sustain and digest; albeit that among all things passed by your Holiness, some cannot be laid, alledged, nor objected against your Holiness, yet in many of them some default appeareth to be in you, which I would to God we could so diminish, as it might appear no default; but it cannot be hid, which is so manifest, and tho we could say nothing, the thing it self speaketh. But as to that that is affirmed in your Letters, both of God's Law, and Man's, otherwise than is necessary and truth, let that be ascribed to the temerity and ignorance of your Counsellors, and your Holiness to be without all default, save only for that ye do not admit more discreet and learned Men to be your Counsellors, and stop the mouths of them which liberally would speak the Truth. This truly is your default, and verily a great fault, worthy to be alienate and abhorred of Christ's Vicar, in that ye have dealt so variably, yea rather so inconstantly and deceivably. Be ye not angry with my words, and let it be lawful for me to speak the Truth without displeasure; if your Holiness shall be displeased with that we do rehearse, impute no default in us, but in your own Deeds; which Deeds have so molested and troubled us wrongfully, that we speak now unwillingly, and as enforced thereunto. Never was there any Prince so handled by a Pope, as your Holiness hath intreated us. First; When our Cause was proponed to your Holiness, when it was explicated and declared afore the same; when certain Doubts in it were resolved by your Counsellors, and all things discussed, it was required that answer might be made thereunto by the order of the Law. There was offered a Commission, with a promise also that the same Commission should not be revoked; and whatsoever Sentence should be given, should streight without delay be confirmed. The Judges were sent unto us, the Promise was delivered to us, subscribed with your Holiness's hand which avouched to confirm the Sentence, and not to revoke the Commission, nor to grant any thing else that might lett the same; and finally to bring us in a greater hope, a certain Commission Decretal, defining the Cause, was delivered to the Judges hands. If your Holiness did grant us

;