A.D. 1379. Anno tertio Richard 1 II. C. 347 Ex Rot. In Tun. Lond. -charges de mefmes les benefices appertenantz ou incumbentz einz foefffent notoirement les nobles edifices auncienement fait illoeqes quant mefmes les benefices eftoient occupiez par les Engleis de tout cheier a ruyne par ont le divin fervice eft tref- grantement diminue la cure des almes negligee & leffe & le clerge enfeblez le trefor du dit Roialme emportez as mains des aliens & tout leftate de feint eglife mefhez a meindre reverence qe devant ne foleit eftre et coment qe en temps le dit Aiel cer- teins ordinances eftatutz & compofitions y feuffent faitz & affermez pur oufterde tout 6u a meins pur reftreindre les ditz mefchiefs en partie Nientmeins Jes dits aliens nient eiantz regard a cella ne fe ab- ftiegnent mye de prendre & receivre tieux benefi- ces" deinz le dit Roialme einz par my le confort eide & grant focour qils ont des liges noftre dit Seignur le Roi qi font lour fermers procuratours & attornes en ycelle partie en chefcun partie del dit Hoialme fafforcent de jour en autre pluis et pluis
- "de accepter & avoir les greindres dignites & bene-
fices deinz le Roialme avantdite & par diverfe fna- nere molt prejudiciele a mefme le Roialme fi ceo fuift foefferte paront les ditz mefchiefs encrefcent de jour en autre moltz outrageoufment & pluis en- crefceront ft due remede ne foit purveuz les pluis en hafte. Noftre Seignur, leR,oi par ladvis & commune af-> fent de. touz les Seignurs temporels efteantz en ce parlement ad ordeinez & eftabliz qe nul homme des liges le Roi nautre perfone quelconqe de quel eftat ou condition qil foit ne preigne ne receive deinz le Roialme dEngleterre procuracie lettre dat- tourne ne ferme nautre adminiftration par enden- ture ne en autre manere quelconqe de nul perfone du monde dafcun benefice deinz le dit Roialme forfqe tantfoulement des liges de noftre Seignur le Roi de mefme le Roialme fanz efpecial & expreffe congie de noftre dit Seignur le Roi par ladvis de fon confeil. Et fi afcuns devant ceft heure eient acceptez dafcuns aliens tielx procuracies fermes ou adminiftration qils les leffent oultrement deinz xl. jours apres la publication de cefte ordinance. Et qe nul des ditz liges nautre qe purra eftre tro- vez en dit Roialme henvoie par vertue de tiele pro- curacie ferme ou adminiftration ore argent nautre trefor ne commodite hors du dit Roialme par let- tere defchange par merchandie nen autre manere quelconqe au profit des ditz aliens fanz femblabie congie du Roi par ladvis de fon dit confeil. , E fi afcun face le contraire en afcun point contenuz en ■ceft ordinance encourge la peine & puniffement contenuz en leftatutdes provifcurs fait en temps le dit aiel Ian de fon regne xxvii me par mefme le pro- ces compris en dit eftatut & par garniffement affaire a eux en lours benefices ou autres lours poffeffions deinz le Roialme et fils foient pardehors le dit Roi- alme & naient benefices ne poffeffions deinz mef- me le Roialme ou ils purront eftre garniz adonqes foit brief fait en la Chancel! arie fondez fur cefte ordinance as vifcontz de Londres. ou al vifcont del contee en quel ils furont ou ferrdnt neez a la fuite le Roi retournable en lun Bank ou en lautre par quel brief foit comande proclamation eftre fait overtement qils foient devant les Juftices en le Bank ou le brief eft retournable a certein jour com- pris en .mefme le brief contenant lefpace de demy an pur refpendre fur les matires compris en le dit " to other Charges to the fame Benefices pertaining or " belonging, but manifeftly fuffer the noble Buildings " in old Times there made, when the fame Benefices " were occupied by Englifomen, wholly to fall to De- " cay, whereby the Divine Service is greatly minifhed, . _ " the Cure of Souls neglected and left, the Clergy en- " feebled, the Treafure of the faid Realm carried to " the Hands of Aliens, and all the Eftate of holy " Church brought to lefs Reverence than before it was " wont to be : {%) And though that in the Time of 2 s Ed ■ 3. flat. 6. " the faid Grandfather certain Ordinances, Statutes, " and Compofitions were made and affirmed, wholly " to put out, or at leaftto reftrain the faid Mifchiefs in " this Behalf; neverthelefs the faid Aliens, not having " Regard to the fame, do not refrain to take and re- " ceive fuch Benefices within the faid Realm, but by " the Comfort, Aid, and great Succour which they " have had- of the King's jiege People, that be their " Fermors, Procurators, and Atturnies in this Behalf " and. in every Part of the faid Realm, do enforce " themfelves from Day to Day more and more to ac- " cept the greateft Dignities and Benefices within the " faid Realm, and by divers cautelous Manners, much " prejudicial to the fame P.ealm if that were fuffered, " whereby the faid Mifchiefs do daily increafe, and " much more will increafe, if due Remedy be not the " fooner provided." ' II. Our Lord the King, by the Advice and com- None /hall take ' mon Affent of all the Lords- Temporal being in this in Ferm an vBs- ' Parliament, hath ordained and eftablifhed, That none "wVoVan ' of the King's liege People, nor other Perfon, of Alien without ' whatfoever Eftate or Condition that he be, fhall not the King's Li-
- take nor receive within the fame Realm of England, cence.
' Procuracy, Letter of Atturhey, nor Ferm, nor other 1 Adminiftration by Indenture, nor in any other Man* 6 ner whatfoever, of any Perfoh of the World, of any ' Benefice within the faid Realm, but only of the, ' King's liege People of the fame P.ealm, without the
- fpecial Grace and exprefs Licence of our Lord the
' King, by the Advice of his Council, (2 J And if any ' before this Time have accepted " of any Aliens fuch ' Procuracies, Ferms, or Adminiftration, that they ' fhall utterly leave them within Forty Days after Publi- ' cation of this Ordinance. (■?) And that none of 'the None (hall con- ? faid liege People, nor other that may be found in the vcy Money out ' faid P>.ea!m, fhall convey by virtue of fuch Procu- ' racy,, Ferm, or Adminiftration, Gold, Silver, nor ' other Treafure nor Commodity out of the faid Realm, ' by Letter of Exchange, , by Merchandife, nor in ' other Manner, to the Profit of the faid Aliens, with- ' out like Licence of the King by the Advice of his ' faid Council; (4) and if any do the contrary in any ' Point contained in this Ordinance, he fhall incur the ' Pain and Punifhment contained in the Statute of Pro- St. an. ijZd. 3. ' vifors, made in the Time of the King's Grandfather, <le Proviforibus, 6 the Seven and twentieth Year of his Reign, by the ' fame Procefs comprifed in the faid Statute, (cj and ' by Warning to be made to them in their Benefices, ' or other their Poffeffions within the Realm ; (6) and ' if they be out of the fa-id Realm, and not beneficed,
- not having Poffeffion within the fame Realm where
' they may be warned, then a Wiit fhall be made in ■Procefs awarded
- the Chancery grounded upon this Ordinance to the againft Offenders
- Sheriff of London, or to the Sheriff of the County in "'
- which they were or fhall be born, at the King's Suit,
- returnable in the one Bench or the other; by which
- Writ it fhall be commanded, that Proclamation be
- made openly, that they appear before the Juftices in
Y y 2 the of the Realm for fuch Feim. .rhat are out of the Realm.
