A. D. 1350. Anno vicefimo quinto Edward 1 III. Stat. 6. 269 Ex Rot. in Turr. Lond. trons en temps de tieles voidances perderoient lour prefentementz le dit confeil periroit & biens fanz nombre ferroient emportes hors du roialme en ad- nullation del eftat de feinte eglife dEngleterre & defheritefon du dit Ael & des Countes Barons & nobles & en offens & deftru&ion des lois & droi- tures de fon roialme & grant damage de fon poeple & fubverfion del eftat de tut fon roialme fufdit & contre la bone difpofition & volunte des primers foundours del aflent des Countees Barons nobles & tute la dite communalte a lour inftante requefte confideres les damages & grevances fufdites en le dit plener parlement feuft purveu ordine & eftabli qe les dites grevances oppreffions & damages en meifme le roialme des adonqes mes ne ferroient foefrertz en afcun manere. Et ja monftre foit a noftre Seignur le Roi en ceft parlement tenuz a Weftm' a les oetaves de la Purification de noftre Dame Ian de fon regne dEngleterre vintifme quint & de France dufziime par le greveufe pleinte de toute la communalte de fon roialme qe les grevan- ces h mefchiefs fufditz fabondent de temps en temps a plus grant damage & deftru&ion de tut le roialme plus qe unqes ne firent ceft affaver qore de novel noftre feint Piere le Pape par procurement des clercs & autrement ad refervee & referve de jour en autre a fa collation generalment & efpecial- ment fibien Ercevefchees Evefchees Abbeies & Priories come totes dignetes & autres benefices dEngleterre qe font del avowerie de gentz de feinte eglife & les doune auxibien as aliens come as den- zeins & prent de touz tiels benefices les primeres fruitz & autres profitz plufours & grande partie du trefor del roialme fi eft emporte & defpendu hors , du roialme par les purchaceours de tieles graces & auxint par tieles refervations prives plufours. clercs avances en cefte roialme par lour verroies, patrons qe ont tenuz lour avancementz parlong. temps pe- fiblement font fodeinement oftes fur quoi la dite communaltee ad prie a noftre Seignur le Roi qe deficome le droit de la Corone dEngleterre & la loi du dite roialme font tieles qe fur mefchiefs & da- mages qe ft aviegnont a fon roialme il doit & eft tenuz par fon ferement del acord de fon poeple en fon parlement faire ent remede & lei en oftant les mefchiefs & damages qenfi aviegnont qe lui pleife de ce ordiner remede. Noftre Seignur le Roi veiant les mefchiefs & da- mages fufnomes & eant regard al dit eftatut fait en temps fon dit Ael & a les caufes contenues en ycele le quel eftatut tient touz jours fa force & ne feuft unqes defait ne anulli en nul point & pur tant eft il tenuz par fon ferement del faire garder come la loi de fon roialme coment qe par foefFrance & negligence ad efte puis attempte a contraire & aux- int eant regard a les grevoufes pleintes a lui faites par fon poeple en fes divers parlementz ceaenarere tenuz voillantz les trefgrantz damages & mefchiefs qe font avenuz et viegnont de jour en autre a la Eglife dEngleterre par la dite caufe remede ent or- diner par aflent de touz les grantz et la communalte 3 " in the faid Places, fliould be withdrawn, the faid " Grandfather, and other Lay-Patrons, in the Time " of fuch Voidances, fhould lofe their Prefentments, " the faid Council fliould perifh, and Goods without " Number fhould be carried out of the Realm, in Ad- " nullation of the Eftate of the holy Church of Eng- " land, and Difherifon of the faid Grandfather, and " the Earls, Barons, and other Nobles of the faid' " Realm, and in Offence and Deftruftion of the Laws " and Rights of his Realm, and to the great Damage " of his People, and in Subverfion of all the Eftate of " his faid Realm, and againft the good Difpofition and " Will of the firft Founders: ( 4 ) By the Aflent of " the Earls, Barons, and other Nobles, and of all the " faid Commonalty, at their Inftances and Requefts, " the Damage and Grievances afore confidered, in the " faid full Parliament it was ordained, provided, efta- " blifhed, agreed, adjudged, and confidered, That the " faid Oppreffions, Grievances, and Damages in the " fame Realm from henceforth fliould not be fuffered " in any Manner. (5) And now it is fliewed to our^ " Lord the King in this prefent Parliament holden at " Wejlminfter, at the Utas of the Purification of our " Lady, the Five and twentieth Year of his Reign of " England, and of France the Twelfth, by the grievous ■ " Complaints of all the Commons of his Realm, that " the Grievances and Mifchiefs aforefaid do daily a- " bound, to the greater Damage and Deftruclion of.' " all his Realm of England, more than ever were*, be-- " fore, viz. that now of late the Bifhop of Rome, by Thi Po P e S' veth " Procurement of Clerks and^otherwife, hath refeived, *« ^^"^ , " and doth daily. referve to his Collation generally and re re rV eth C the " efpecially, as well Archbifliopricks, Bifhoprieks, Ab- fi r ft Fruits to. beys, and Priories, as all other Dignities and other himfelf.
- ' Benefices of 'England^, which be of the Advowry of
- ' People of holy^ Church, and give the fame as well to
" Aliens as to Denizens, and taketh of all fuch Bene- " fices the firft Fruits, and many other Profits, and a " great Part of the Treafure of the faid Realm is car- " ried away and difpended out of the Realm, by the " Purchafers of fuch Benefices and Graces aforefaid ; " (6) and alfo by fuch privy Refervations many Clerks " advanced in this Realm by their true Patrons, which " have peaceably holden their Advancements by long ' Time, be fuddenly put out : (7) Whereupon the " faid Commons have prayed our faid Lord the King, . " that fuh the Right of the Crown of England, and " the Law of the faid Realm is fuch, that upon the " Mifchiefs and Damages which happen to his Realm, " he ought, and is bound by his Oath, with the Ac- " cord of his People in his Parliament thereof to make " Remedy and Law, and in removing the Mifchiefs " and Damages which thereof enfue, that it may, " pleafe him thereupon to ordain Remedy. " III. Our Lord the King, feeing the Mifchiefs and The Caufes and " Damage before mentioned, and having Regard to R(-afons of " the faid Statute made in the Time of his faid Grand- ™^ t n e g this ' " father, and to the Caufes contained in the fame; " '• ' which Statute holdeth always his Force, and was net- " ver defeated, * repealed, nor admilled in any Point, * Nil in dig, " and by fo much as he is bounden by his Oath to " caufe the fame to be kept as the Law of his Realm, " though that by Sufferance and Negligence it hath " been fithence attempted to the contrary; (2) alfo " having Regard to the grievous Complaints made to " him by his People in divers his Parliaments holden " heretofore, willing to ordain Remedy for the great " Damages and Mifchiefs which have happened, and . s daily
