Ex Rot. in Turr. Lond.
% Inft. 580'.
95 Ed. 3. flat. 6.
giving King and '
Lords Tower to
prefent to Bene-
fices of their civn
a' d Anctfiors
Foundation. '
Hob. 148.
Statuium De Apportis Religioforum, made Anno 35 Edw. I. Stat, 1.
and Anno Dom. 1307 a .
CAP. I.
The Caufes of Erection of Abbies. Impoficions fet by Priors Aliens.
Ex Rot. in Turr. Lond. m. 33.
NUPER. ad notitiam domini Regis ex gravi
querela Magnatum Procerum & aliorum
nobilium regni fui pervenit quod cum Mo-
nafteria Prioratus & domus religiofe ad laudem &
honorem Dei & ad exaltationem fanfte ecclefie per
Regem & progenitores fuos & per diftos Magnates
& nobiles & eorum anteceffores fundata fuiflent &
terre & tenementa quamplurima effent data per
ipios didis Monafteriis Prioratibus & domibus ac
yiris religiofis in eifdem Deo fervientibus ut in hu-
jufmodi Monafteriis & domibus religiofis tam cle-
rici quam laici admitterentur fecundum fuarum
fufHcientiam facultatum & infirmi ac debiles fuften-
tarentur hofpitalitates elemofinarum largitiones &
alia pietatis opera exercerentur & pro animabus
predidtorum fundatorum & heredum fuorum fierent
in eifdem Abbates Priores & Cuftodes earumdeni
domorum & quidam eorum fuperiores alienigene
utpote Abbates & Priores Cluniaeen' Ciftertien' &
Premonftra' & San£torum Auguftini & Benediiti
ordinum & ceteri quamplures alterius religionis &
ordinis noviter per iingula Monafteria & domos eis
fubjedta in Angl' Hibern' Scotia & Wallia diverfa
tallagia cenfus & impofitiones mfolitas graves &
importabiles domino Rege Magnatibufque fuis in-
confultis fieri ftatuerunt & pro fuo libito ordinarunt
contra leges & confuetudines di£ti regni ex quo fit
utriumerus religioforum & aliorum fervitorum in
hujufmodi domibus & locis religiofis per tallagia
hujufmodi cenfus & impofitiones oppreffis minuitur
cultus divinus & alimonie pauperibus infirmis &
debilibus fubtrahantur & falutes vivorum & anime
mortuorum miferabi liter defraudantur hofpitalitates
elemofinarum largitiones ac cetera cefTant opera
caritatis ficque quod olim in ufus pios & ad divini
cultus augmentum caritative fuerat erogatum jam
in cenfum reprobum eft converfum unde preter ea
que premittuntur fcandalum non modicum crefcit
in populo & dampna innumera in exheredationem
predidlorum fundatorum ac heredum fuorum pro-
cul dubio provenifle nofcuntur & adhuc verifimiliter
prefumftur provenire nifi tantis & tam gravibus de-
trimentis celeri & falubri remedio obvietur.
OF late it came to the Knowledge of our Lord
the King, by the grievous Complaint of the
honourable Perfons, Lords, and other Noble-
men of his Realm, that whereas' Monafteries, Pri-
ories, and other Religious Houfes were founded to
the Honour and Glory of God, and the Advance-
ment of the Holy Church, by the King and his
Progenitors, and by the faid Noblemen and their
Anceftors, (2) and a very great Portion of Lands
and Tenements have been given by them to the faid
Monafteries, Priories, and Houfes, and the Religi-
ous Men ferving God in them, to the Intent that
Clerks and Laymen might be admitted in fuch Mo-
nafteries, Priories, and Religious Houfes, according
to their fufficient Ability, and that fick and feeble
Men might be maintained, Hofpitality, Almfgiving,
and other charitable Deeds might be done, and that
in them Prayers might be faid for the Souls of the
faid Founders and their Heirs; (3) the Abbots,
Priors, and Governours of the faid Houfes, and
certain Aliens their Superiours, as the Abbots and
Priors of Cejiercienfes, and Prernon/lratenfes, and of
the Order of St. Auguftine, and St. BenediSl, and
many more of other Religion and Order, have at
their own Pleafures fet divers unwonted, heavy and
importable Tallages, Payments, and Impofitions
upon every of the faid Monafteries and Houfes in
Subjection unto them in England, Ireland, Scotland,
and IVales, without the Privity of our Lord the King
and his Nobility, contrary to the Laws and Cuftoms
of the faid Realm ; (4) and thereby the Number of
Religious Perfons, and other Servants in the faid
Houfes and Religious Places being oppreffed by fuch
Tallages, Payments, and Impofitions, the Service
of God is diminifhed, Alms being not given to the
Poor, the Sick, and Feeble, the Healths of the Li-
ving and the Souls of the Dead be miferably defraud-
ed, Hofpitality, Almfgiving, and other godly Deeds
do ceafe ; (5) and fo that which in Times paft was
charitably given to godly Ufes, and to the Increafe
of the Service of God, is now converted to an evil
End ; by Permiffion whereof there groweth great
Scandal to the People, and infinite LoiTes and Dif-
heritances are like to enfue to the Founders of the
faid Houfes and their Heirs, unlefs fpeedy and fuffi-
cient Remedy be provided to redrefs fo many and
grievous Detriments."
» This is taken from the Secundd pars vetcrumftatutonm by Pulton.
3
Coiifideram
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