In the thirtéenth yeare of this king, Stephan the popes chapleine and his Nuncio came ouer vnto king Henrie, requiring to haue towards the maintenance of the popes warres against the emperour Frederike, a tenth part of all the mooueable goods within the realmes & countries of England, Wales, and Ireland, as well of spirituall persons as temporall. Wherevpon, a parlement or assemblie of the lords was called at Westminster, on the second sundaie after Easter, which was the 29 of Aprill. At which parlement, when the popes buls were read, and the matter therein conteined plainelie opened and examined, to the end it might appeare vpon what necessarie causes the pope was constreined to pursue the said wars, and to aske reléefe of faithfull christian people, being members of the holie church: the king, bicause he had by his procurators at Rome aforehand promised & bound himselfe to such paiment of tenths, sate still, and answered not to the contrarie (whereas the hope of a great number was reposed in him, that by his deniall the popes request shuld haue béene frustrat) so that when by his silence he was adiudged to consent, yet the temporall lords & laie men vtterlie denied to agrée vnto such paiment, not willing in any wise to bind their baronies and temporall possessions vnto the church of Rome. [Sidenote: Stephan de Segraue. The tenths of the spiritualtie granted to the pope.] Howbeit, the bishops, abbats, priors, and other ecclesiasticall persons, after they had shewed themselues to rest doubtfull (not without great grudging and murmuring in the meane time, for the space of thrée or foure daies togither) at length, for feare of excommunication, consented to be contributorie, but in such sort, as they had escaped for a farre more reasonable summe, if Stephan Segraue one of the kings councell had not by compact (as was thought) made with the Nuncio, wrought so in the matter, that the tenths were finallie granted, to the great impouerishment and inestimable damage of the church and realme of England. After this, the Nuncio shewed the procuratorie letters, whereby he was authorised to gather those tenths, and that not after a common manner, but by a verie straight and hard valuation. [Sidenote: Vsurers.]