had pointedly reminded them of it before he consented to the Charter, telling the barons, in answer to their demands, that nothing in the government and constitution of England ought to be, or lawfully could be, altered without the knowledge and sanction of the Pope, now that he was overlord of the realm; and he had publicly appealed to the Pope, as overlord, against them and all their doings. As soon as the Charter was sealed, he had despatched envoys to Rome to prosecute his appeal, and to lay before Innocent a statement of his case, together with such extracts from the Charter as were most likely to influence the Pope in his favour. The result was that on August 24--two days before the papal denunciation of the “disturbers of the realm” was published by the English bishops at Staines--Innocent as temporal overlord of England quashed the Charter, and as Pope forbade its observance by either king or people, on pain of excommunication.[1096] FOOTNOTES: [926] _Rot. Claus._ vol. i. p. 166 b. [927] W. Coventry, vol. ii. p. 217. [928] W. Coventry, vol. ii. p. 217. [929] _Ib._ p. 218. [930] “Ut fama refert,” R. Wendover, vol. iii. p. 263. [931] R. Wendover, vol. iii. pp. 263–6. [932] _Ann. Waverl._ a. 1214; “potestate sua non bene utens, iram baronum converti fecerat contra regem.” [933] R. Coggeshall, p. 170. [934] Articles of the Barons, 1215 cc. 39, 47. [935] _Ib._ c. 8. [936] Of the value to which these profits had risen some idea may be gathered from the fact that a _proficuum_ of £336: 18: 8 was accounted for as due to the Treasury in 1205 by the sheriff of Staffordshire and Shropshire, of which two counties the united ferm was £413: 12: 4, _Salt Archaeol. Soc. Publications_, vol. ii. pp. 129, 133. It must, however, be added that this _proficuum_ was reduced next year to £266: 13: 4, and went down further year by year, till in 1212 it was only about £155: 11s., _ib._ pp. 136, 138, 142, 145, 147, 151, 159. After that year the Pipe Rolls are in confusion till 1218. [937] Art. Bar. c. 14. [938] _Ib._ c. 28. [939] W. Coventry, vol. ii. pp. 214, 215. [940] Art. Bar. c. 26. [941] _Ib._ c. 30. [942] _Ib._ c. 8. [943] _Ib._ c. 13. [944] _Ib._ c. 24. [945] Art. Bar. c. 9. [946] _Ib._ c. 10. [947] _Ib._ c. 22. [948] _Ib._ c. 1. [949] _Ib._ c. 36. [950] _Ib._ c. 4. [951] _Ib._ c. 17. [952] _Ib._ c. 3. [953] _Ib._ c. 27. [954] _Ib._ c. 5. [955] Art. Bar. c. 15. [956] _Ib._ cc. 34, 35. [957] _Ib._ c. 31. [958] _Ib._ c. 11. [959] _Ib._ c. 23. [960] _Ib._ c. 43. [961] _Ib._ cc. 18, 20. [962] _Ib._ c. 29. [963] _Ib._ c. 33. [964] _Ib._ c. 6. [965] _Ann. Waverl._ a. 1213. [966] R. Wendover, vol. iii. pp. 300, 301. [967] See Note II. at end. [968] Charter of Henry I. cc. 2, 4, 1. [969] W. Coventry, vol. ii. p. 218. [970] R. Wendover, vol. iii. pp. 293, 294. Cf. R. Coggeshall, p. 170. [971] _Itin._ a. 16.