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DISMES.

dismes, far

9 HENRY 5, Stat. 1, Cap 9.—An act that abbots and other religious persons may be discharged of collection of dismes, out of the county where they dwell.-Item, forasmuch as the abbots and priors Abbots and of the realm of England have had and sustained great damage, priors being grieved by losses, costs, and diseases, before this time, by that they have been collecting assigned by the archbishops and bishops of the same realm of Eng- from their land, to gather the dismes granted to the kings of England by the houses, clergy, very far from their houses, and also in divers dioceses and counties, as they have shewed to our said sovereign lord the king by their petition delivered in this present parliament: the king our they shall sovereign lord, having thereto consideration, hath ordained and not henceestablished, that no abbot nor prior, within the realm of England, any but shall be by any archbishop or bishop from henceforth ordained to be collector of any dismes or subsidies, out of the same county where he is dwelling or conversant. And this ordinance shall stand in his force till the parliament, which shall be first holden after the king's return from beyond the sea into England.

1 RICHARD 3, CAP. 14.-Accomptants for dismes of the clergy not chargeable to answer other men's suits in the exchequer.-Item, whereas the clergy of the provinces of Canterbury and York have before this time divers times granted to the king's progenitors, in their convocations, dismes to be levied of their goods and possessions, and after that they do appear before the barons of the king's exchequer, and the names of the collectors for the same grant be certified in the said exchequer, when the said collectors do appear before the barons of the exchequer, and enter into their account for the said disme, that then the said collectors be often charged, vexed, and troubled with bills put by other persons against them, for other causes and matters then touching the said account, and by occasion thereof oftentimes they fall to great poverty, and causeth the said account to be two or three years hanging, and the dismes not contented, to the king's great damage, and the said collectors also:

II. It is therefore ordained and established by the king, his lords spiritual and temporal, and the commons in this present parliament assembled, that from henceforth if any disme, or any part of a disme, be granted by the province of either of the said clergies, to the king our sovereign lord, or to his heirs, that after the said certificate returned into the exchequer for the disme, or part of the disme, and of the names of the collectors for the gathering of the same disme, that if the said collectors come by process before the said barons of the exchequer, and enter in their account, that they shall not be bound to answer to the said bill or bills there put against them, by reason of the said entry in their account, for any manner cause, but only for the matter touching the said account.

III. Provided always, that if the said accomptant be sued in any other court by writ, bill, or plaint, that then he shall take no

forth collect

within their own county.

priors, &c.

of dismes,

privilege of the said exchequer, by reason of the said account for any suit, as before is rehearsed.

4 HENRY 7, CAP. 5.-An act for the annulling letters patents made to any spiritual person, for to be discharged from payment or collection All letters of dismes.-Item, the king our sovereign lord remembering, that as patents, exempting well his highness and divers his progenitors and predecessors kings abbots, of England, have made and granted upon feigned suggestions to from dismes, divers abbots, priors, wardens, masters or rulers of other spiritual or collecting places, and to their successors, divers and many letters patents, some shall be void. of them to be quit and discharged of payment of dismes, and some of them to be quit and discharged as well of the gathering of dismes, as of the payment of dismes; by the which every disme, whensoever it be granted, is greatly minished, and other places the more grievously charged with gathering of the same: remembering also the great charges that now be in hand, and that the bearing thereof must as well be to the relief of them that have such letters patents as to other of his subjects: hath therefore ordained and enacted by authority of the said parliament, that all such letters patents, as for the premises, be void and of none effect, by whatsoever names, those persons, to whom the letters be made, be called or named.

Religious

ing obtained grants of exemption from dismes, &c.

than have

7 HENRY 7, CAP. 6.-An act, that letters patents of discharge from payment of dismes and quinzimes, shall extend no further than they did in the time of Edward the fourth.-The king our sovereign lord houses have remembering, how well his highness as divers his progenitors and predecessors kings of England, have made and granted, as well upon feigned suggestions as otherwise, to divers abbots, priors, guardians, keepers, masters, and rulers, or sovereigns of spiritual places, and to their successors, divers and many grants and letters patents, that they and their successors, and their tenants and servants resiant upon their lands and tenements, and also all lands and tenements, goods and chattels of them and of their said tenants and servants whatsoever, resiant upon their said lands and tenements, shall be quit and discharged of all quinzemes, and dismes, other quotis taxes and tallages, by the common act of this realm in anywise granted -ask greater or to be granted, by colour of which grant and letters patents, the deductions, grantees aforesaid now in late days have asked and yet ask deducbeen hereto- tions and allowances at every quinzeme and disme granted unto our sovereign lord the king, of much greater and more excessive sums of money, than have been allowed or deducted unto them, by reason of their said grants in time passed: where through every quinzeme and disme to the king before this time granted and hereafter to be granted, is, and of likelihood shall be greatly minished and lessened, and the poor common people of this realm so much the more grievously assessed and charged to the same quinzemes and dimes: remembering that the bearing and employing thereof must as well be to the relief of them and their said tenants, farmers, and servants that have such grants and letters patents, as to other of his subjects hath therefore by the assent and advice of the lords spiritual and temporal, and the commons in this present parliament assembled. and by authority of the said parliament, ordained, and established, that the said abbots, priors, guardians, keepers, masters, rulers or sovereigns of spiritual places, in none of them, nor none other

fore made.

Ordained that,

be allowed

in virtue of

whatsoever having such letters or grants, have from henceforth, by reason of the said letters patents and grants, any allowance, deduc- they shall tion, or acquittals of any more or greater sums of money, at any no greater such quinzeme and disme granted or hereafter to be granted, except deductions, only of such and as much sums of money as have been deducted such grants, and allowed, to or for them or any of them by reason and force of than were the said grants and letters patents, in the time of king Edward the the time of fourth, at such quinzeme and disme paid, the said grants and letters Ed. 4. patents, or any act, statute or ordinance before this time in anywise made or ordained notwithstanding.

allowed in

grant made

II. Provided alway, that this act or ordinance extend not, nor in Proviso, for a anywise be prejudicial or hurtful to any other grant or grants, or to the town letters patents, bearing date the twelfth day of December, in the first of Salop. year of our reign made unto the bailiffs, burgesses, men, commonalty, and inhabitants of the town of Salop, called otherwise the town of Shrewsbury, but that our said grant and grants, and letters patents, and every thing therein contained, be and stand good and effectual, after the tenor and purport of the same: the said act and ordinance, or any thing therein contained notwithstanding.

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DISPENSATIONS FROM ROME ABOLISHED.

1 Roll 468,

Sums of

money which

ral causes to

Rome

25 HENRY 8, CAP. 21.-The act concerning peter-pence and dispensations.-Most humbly beseeching your most royal majesty, your Hob. 146. obedient and faithful subjects, the commons of this your present 469, 471. parliament assembled, by your most dread commandment, that where your subjects of this your realm, and of other countries and dominions, being under your obeisance, by many years past have been, and yet be greatly decayed and impoverished, by such intolerable exactions of great sums of money as have been claimed and taken, and yet continually be claimed to be taken out of this your realm, and other your said countries and dominions, by the bishop of Rome, called the pope, and the see of Rome, as well in pensions, censes, peter-pence, procurations, fruits, suits for provisions, and expeditions have been of bulls for archbishoprics and bishoprics, and for delegacies, and paid for severescripts in causes of contentions and appeals, jurisdictions legantine, the bishop and also for dispensations, licences, faculties, grants, relaxations, writs of called perinde valere, rehabilitations, abolitions, and other infinite continued. sorts of bulls, breeves, and instruments of sundry natures, names and kinds, in great numbers heretofore practised and obtained, otherwise than by the laws, laudable uses, and customs of this realm should be permitted, the specialties whereof been over long, large in number, and tedious here particularly to be inserted; wherein the bishop of Rome aforesaid hath not been only to be blamed for his usurpation in the premises, but also for his abusing and beguiling your subjects, pretending and pursuading them that he hath power to dispense with all human laws, uses and customs of all realms, in all causes which be called spiritual, which matter hath been usurped and practised by him and his predecessors for many years, in great derogation of your imperial crown and authority royal, contrary to right and conscience; for where this your grace's realm recognizing This realm no superior under God, but only your grace, hath been and is free from subjection to any man's laws, but only to such as have been man, but devised, made and obtained within this realm, for the wealth of the been devised same, or to such other as by sufferance of your grace and your pro- same. genitors, the people of this your realm have taken at their free liberty, by their own consent to be used amongst them, and have bound themselves by long use and custom to the observance of the same, not as to the observance of laws of any foreign prince, potentate or prelate, but as to the customed and ancient laws of this realm, originally established as laws of the same, by the said sufferance, consents and custom, and none otherwise: it standeth therefore with The power of the king and natural equity and good reason, that in all and every such laws parliament to human made within this realm, or induced into this realm by the dispense said sufferance, consents and custom, your royal majesty, and your annul the lords spiritual and temporal, and commons, representing the whole of this realin. state of your realm, in this your most high court of parliament, have full power and authority, not only to dispense, but also to

is free from

any laws of

such as have

within the

with, alter or

human laws

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