In the meane time, the bishop of Hereford and Ruscand sought to set variance and discord amongst the English prelats, whereby being diuided in parts, and not consenting togither, they should be lesse able to giue true information to the pope, how the verie truth rested. But finallie, bicause the archbishop of Canturburie was in the parts beyond the sea, and for that also the sée of Yorke was vacant, and diuerse bishops were absent, the councell was proroged till the feast of S. Hilarie, and so they departed euerie man to his home in a maruellous doubt what waie were best for them to take, sith they saw themselues in great distresse, if Ruscand did suspend or excommunicate any of them either iustlie or otherwise. For sure they were, that the king as a lion lieng in wait whome he might deuoure (to get monie) after fortie daies were past, if they submitted not themselues, would spoile them of all their goods as forfeited. So that the pope and the king séemed as though the shéepheard and woolfe had béene confederate togither to the destruction of the poore flocke of shéepe, threatning euerie mans vndooing, to their owne inriching: and not ceasing, till with fulnesse they were forced to fall from the flesh, much like bloudsucking horsléeches of whose nature it is notablie noted, that Non missura priùs carnem, quàm plena cruoris, Quando hæret teneræ mollis hirudo cuti: Sic ignara dolis emungitur ære caterua, Imbelles populi quid nisi præda manent? [Sidenote: _Matth. Paris._] [Sidenote: The Lord Gray forsaketh the court.] Thus by reason of couetous gréedinesse to get monie for the furnishing of the popes warres against Manfred king of Sicill, both the pope and the king of England ran in slander and hatred of the English nation, namelie, of the spiritualtie, so that such as recorded the acts and dooings of that time, spared not to make manifest to the world by their writings, how iniuriouslie they were handled, blaming the practises of the court of Rome in plaine terms, and affirming that the pope had power in those things which worke to edification, and not to destruction. About this season, Iohn lord Grey, being one of the chéefe councellors to the king, a right honourable knight, and for his good demeanor and high valiancie greatly commended of all, withdrew himselfe from the court, either by reason of age that desireth rest, or rather (as was thought) for that he doubted to beare blame for such errors as were dailie committed by them that bare rule about the king, which could not but bring the authors into great infamie at length, and therefore was he loth to be partaker with them of such slander as might haue redounded to him also, if he had still continued and taried amongst them. [Sidenote: Iewes accused & executed for crucifieng a child at Lincolne named Hugh.] [Sidenote: Eightéene Iews hanged.]