A.D. 1247. THE AUTHENTIC OP THE POPE. of the pope, he was immediately answered to his face, that the lord the king, for the arduous affairs of the kingdom which were at that moment pressing upon him, had sent thè lord abbot of Westminster and the lord John Maunsel, as his especial councillors, into the parts of Germany. Owing to which, the prior and the chapter could not possibly give any answer whatever respecting any contribution without the presence of their head ; for it would not be reasonable of them to do so. But when brother John had heard that they had replied thus prudently and circumspectly, and at the same time boldly, as if relying on the king's protection, both on account of his fear and respect for God, and also for the lord the king, he was silent for awhile, and withdrew. Mark the power of that brother, the disguised legate. About the same time, to the greater oppression and misery of the English, the power of the aforesaid brother John was increased, and even aggravated. And he was more and more stimulated by the pope to labour earnestly for the collection of the aforesaid money, and to exact larger sums sail, by the following letters. The authentic of the pope. " Innocent, &c. Having understood the circumstances which you have intimated by your letters, we, by the authority of these presents, do enjoin you, that, if a portion of the ecclesiastical prelates of the kingdom ofi England shall reply to you, as touching the subsidy to be contributed to the church, and demanded by you on our authority, that they are exempt, &c, yon shall in that case assign them a payment of even a larger sum of money than you have previously demanded of them, imposing upon whomsoever of diem you chooee a com* pulsion to pay the aforesaid subsidy within a proper time, under the penalty of ecclesiastical censures, without any right of appeal ; any privilege or indulgence whatever notwithstanding, though these presents may not make express mention of it. Given at Lyons," &c. If any one desires to see the previous powers, which were granted to the aforesaid brother, he can recur to the copies, which are preserved at Saint Alban1 s. Concerning the summoning aU the nobles of England to Parliament. About the same time, the lord the king finding that his