de vestrorum animalium nutrimentis, nullus a vobis decimas exigere vel extorquere presumat. Liceat quoq. vobis, (&c. ut supra in bulla Innocentij pape iij. usq. ad illam clausulam.) Quod siquis forte retinere presumpserit, licitum vobis sit in ipsos monachos et conuersos regularem sententiam promulgare, (&c. omnia ut supra in bulla Innocentij pape iij. usq ad illam clausulam.) Nec litere ille firmitatem habeant quas tacito nomine Cisterciensis ordinis, et contra indulta apostolicorum priuelegiorum constiterit impetrari. Preterea cum commune interdictum terre fuerit, liceat vobis nichilominus in vestro monasterio exclusis, excommunicatis et interdictis diuina* officia

This clause is very significant.

The country had not long been freed from the great interdict of Pope Innocent III., which lasted six years, and the effects of which are graphically described by the biographer of Archbishop Langton. "On Monday in Holy week, (1208,) which happened to be the vigil of the Annunciation, the bishops proclaimed the sentence of general interdict over the whole of England. From that moment all spiritual acts must cease; all visible intercourse between heaven and earth was suspended, and the Church withdrawn from the kingdom, or rather its life and soul were withdrawn, while the body remained. As an ecclesiastical act, the features which most struck the minds of the country people were, that the daily sacrifice ceased, the doors of the churches were shut against them; that the dead were carried outside of the town's gate, and buried in ditches and road sides, without prayer or priest's offices. The images of apostles and saints were taken down or veiled; the frequent tinkle of the convent bell no longer told the serf at the plough how the weary day was passing, or guided the traveller through the forest to a shelter for the night. Religion, wont to mix with and hallow each hour of the day, each action of life, was totally withdrawn. The state of the country resembled a raid of the Danes, or the days of old Saxon heathendom, before Augustine had set up the cross at Canterbury, or holy men had penetrated the forest and the fen."

At the commencement of the interdict, the Cistercians, relying on the loneliness of their houses, celebrated the divine offices as usual; but the plea was disallowed by the pope, and the interdict rigorously enforced. However, on Archbishop Langton's intercession, he allowed the celebration of the mass once in every week in conventual churches, provided the doors were shut to keep out strangers, no bell rung, and the service only said, not chanted. His successor, Alexander IV., by this bull, however, permitted the divine offices to be celebrated as usual, even though the land was under interdict.

celebrare. (Et cetera omnia usq. ad finem, sicut in predicta bulla Innocentij iij preter datam que hic scribitur.) Data Auagine p manum magistri Jordani sancte Romane ecclesie notarij et vicecancellarij xij kalend. Decembr. Indictione ij, Incarnationis dñice anno mcclviij, pontificatus vero dñi Alexandri pape iij anno quarto.

Huic bulle subscripserunt duo episcopi cardinales, duo presbyteri cardinales, et quinq. diaconi cardinales, quorum nomina et signa sunt in bulla sigillata.

XII. Confirmatio Gregorij* pape decimi de omnibus que habemus, et protectio.

6

quo

REGORIUS episcopus seruus seruorum Dei, dilectis filijs Abbati et conuentui de Stanl. Cisterciensis ordinis, Couentr. diocesis, salutem gratiam et benedictionem. Cum a nobis petitur quod iustum est et honestum, tam vigor equitatis quam ordo exigit rationis, ut id p sollicitudinem officij nostri ad debitum pducatur effectum. Ea ppter dilecti in dño filij vestris iustis postulationib; grato concurrentes assensu, psonas nostras et locum in diuino estis obsequio mancipati cum omnib3 bonis in que presentiarum rationabiliter possidet, aut in futurum iustis modis poterit adipisci, sub beati Petri et nostra protectione suscipimus. Specialiter autem decimas, terras, domos, prata, pascua, molendinaria, piscarias, possessiones, et alia bona vestra sicut ea omnia iuste ac pacifice possidetis, vobis et p vos eidem monasterio vestro auctoritate apostolica confirmamus, et presentis scripti patrocinio communimus. Salua in predictis decimis moderatione concilij generalis. Nulli vero, &c. Dat. Lugdun, Idus ffebruar. pontific. nostri anno secundo.

Gregory X. was raised to the pontificate in 1271, and died in 1276.

XIII. Confirmatio et protectio domini Bonifacij* pape octaui de terris et possessionibus nostris.

B

ONIFACIU S episcopus seruus seruorum Dei, (&c. ut supra in bulla Gregorij pape x. ex alia parte, usq. ad illam clausulam.) Specialiter autem terras, domos, vineas, prata, possessiones, et alia bona vestra, (ut supra.) Nulli vero, &c. Data Rome apud sanctum Petrum x. kalend. maij pontific. nostri anno tertio.

XIV. Confirmatio et protectio domini Bonifacij pape octaui de
monasterio de Whalleye et omnibus alijs locis nostris
et possessionibus.

B

ONIFACIUS episcopus seruus seruorum Dei, dilectis filijs Abbati et conuentui monasterij de Whalleya Cisterciensis ordinis, Couentr. diocesis, (&c. omnia ut supra preter dat., que hic scribitur.) Dat. Lateran xiiij. kalend. Aprilis pontific. nostri anno septimo.

XV. Bulla domini Nicholai† pape quarti de ecclesia de Whalleye.

n

ICHOLAUS episcopus seruus seruorum Dei, dilectis filijs Abbati et conuentui monasterij Loci benedicti de Stanl. Cisterciensis ordinis, Couentr. et Lich. diocesis, salutem et apostolicam benedictionem. Ordinis vestri sacra religio sub qua virtutum dño gratum iugiter impenditis famulatum, necnon dilecti filij nobilis viri H. de Lascy, comitis Lincoln, qui p vobis

* Boniface VIII. became pope in 1294, and died about 1302.

+ Nicholas IV. was elected pope 12th February, 1288, and died 4th April, 1292.

deuotas per suas literas nobis supplicationem sibi porrexit consideratio nos inducunt, ut votis vestris in hijs fauorabiliter quantum cum Deo possumus annuamus que vobis fore dinoscimus oportuna. Sane petitio vestra, nobis exhibita, continebat, quod locus qui dicitur Locus Benedictus de Stanl. Couentr. et Lichef. diocesis, in quo monasterium vestrum situm est, per inundationes maris, iuxta quod monasterium ipsum consistit, adeo concutitur, et aquis nimijs irrigatur, que interdum in dicti monasterij officinis, usq. ad trium pedum altitudinem, colliguntur, quod persone degentes in ipso non possunt ibidem, absq. graui rerum et corporum periculo, remanere. Terra quoq. siue possesiones dicti monasterij circa illud consistentes, occasione dictarum inundationum terre et possessionum superficiem occupantium, adeo sunt destructe, quod aduenientib3 ad monasterium, siue recedentib3 ab eodem, securus transitus patere non potest, propter quod verisimiliter formidatur quod prefatum monasterium in loco ipso adversus talem destructionem, que sibi ex fluctuationib3 dicti maris imminet, diu subsistere non valebit. Hec igiter venerabilis frater noster Couentr. et Lichef. episcopus, loci Diocesanus, diligenter attendens, vobis licentiam auctoritate ordinaria tribuit, vos ad alium locum, quem dictus Comes vobis opportunum viderit transferendi. Idem quoq. Comes monasterij predicti patronus cupiens ad locum ubi ecclesia de Whall., diocesis supradicte, consistit, qui habitationi vestre admodum est accommodus, vos transferri ius patronatus et quicquid iuris in ipsa ecclesia obtinebat, vobis ea intentione pia et prouida liberalitate concessit, quod de prouentib3 vobis ratione huius concessionis licite prouenturis viginti monachi, ultra monachorum numerum in dicto monasterio solitum obseruari, in vestro assumendi collegio, congruam sustentationem haberent, ad quod prouentus ipsi dicuntur sufficere competenter. Et quod ijdem viginti monachi pro nostra, et predecessorum et successorum nostrorum, dictiq. Comitis, animab; deuotas orationes altissimo effundere tenerentur. Bona insuper dicti monasterij fere omnia, sicut asseritis, prope ecclesiam predictam consistunt.

Vos autem premissa sollicite attendentes ac per hoc affectantes ad locum predictum ubi ecclesia prefata sita est transire, et inibi virtutum dño ppetuum impendere famulatum, et in prefato monasterio in quo nunc degitis per quatuor monachos in sacerdotio constitutos continue facere deseruiri, a nobis suppliciter petijstis, ut vobis specialem gratiam facere per quam vestrum in hac parte desiderium valeat adimpleri paterna diligentia dignaremus. Nos igiter, vestris et prefati comitis supplicationib3 grato concurrentes assensu, predictam ecclesiam cum omnib3 capellis iurib3 et ptinentijs suis vobis auctoritate apostolica, in usus proprios concedimus, a vobis vestrisq. successorib3 in usus ipsos ppetuo retinendi. Ita quod, cedente vel decedente ipsius ecclesie Rectore, possessionem eius apprehendere auctoritate propria valeatis, alicuius assensu minime requisito, vobisq. transferendi vos ad locum predictum in quo ecclesia prefata consistit sine iuris preiudicio alieni, ac ibidem sub predicti ordinis obseruantia imppetuum remanendi eadem auctoritate licentiam elargimur, et quod ipsius ecclesie fructus, redditus, et prouentus in usus possitis conuertere supradictos, reseruata tamen ex eis vicario perpetuo in eadem ecclesia seruituro, et ad presentationem vestram per eundem diocesanum in ipsa ecclesia instituendo, congrua portione, ex qua commode sustentari valeat, iura episcopalia soluere, et alia incumbentia ipsius ecclesie onera supportare, Nulli vero, &c. Data Reate x. kalend. Augusti pontific. nostri anno secundo, videlicet, anno dñi m.cc.lxxxix.

Item transcriptum bulle predicti Nicholai pape quarti de eadem ecclesia.

Sed quia dñus Bonifacius papa viij, successor eiusdem Nicholai reuocauit omnes expectationes gratiarum, et cassauit, irritauit, et irrita nunciauit omnia que dictus Nicholaus p suo tempore concessit et fecit, et possessio ipsius ecclesie tempore suo optenta non fuit. Ideo noue bulle de eadem ecclesia impetrate fuerunt a dño Bonifacio papa viij, vide