Compare 1577 edition: 1 Upon the second of October, Matth. Paris. Geffrey Fitz Péers or Fitz Peter depar|teth this life. Geffrey Fitz Peter earle of Essex and lord cheefe iustice of England de|parted this life, a man of great power and autoritie, in whose politike direction and gouernement, the or|der of things perteining to the common-wealth chéefelie consisted. He was of a noble mind, expert in knowledge of the lawes of the land, rich in possessi|ons, and ioined in blood or affinitie with the more part of all the Nobles of the realme, so that his death was no small losse to the commonwelth: for through him and the archbishop Hubert, the king was often|times reuoked from such wilfull purposes, as now and then he was determined to haue put in practise, in so much that the king, as was reported (but how trulie I cannot tell) séemed to reioise for his death, bicause he might now worke his will without anie to controll him.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 The same time, to wit, about the feast of saint Mi|chaell,A cardinall sent into En|gland. came Nicholas the cardinall of Tusculane in|to England, sent from the pope, to take awaie the in|terdiction, if the king would stand to that agreement which he had made and promised by his oth to per|forme. King Iohn receiued this cardinall in most ho|norable wise, and gladlie heard him in all things that he had to saie. This legat at his comming to Westminster, deposed the abbat of that place, na|med William from his roome, for that he was accu|sed both of wasting the reuenues of the house, and al|so of notable incontinencie. Moreouer the burgesses of the towne of Oxford came vnto him to obteine absolution of their offense,The burges|ses of Oxford require abso|lution. in that through their pre|sumption, the thrée schollers (of whom ye haue heard before) were hanged there, to the great terror of all the residue. To be short, they were absolued and pe|nance inioined them, that they should strip them out of their apparell at euerie church in the towne, and going barefooted with scourges in their hands, they should require the benefit of absolution of eue|rie parish preest within their towne, saieng the psalme of Miserere.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 After this, the said cardinall called a councell or conuocation of the cleargie,A cõuocation called by the cardinall. to reforme such things touching the state of the church as should be thought requisite. And though he handled not this matter with such fauour and vprightnesse as the bishops wi|shed on their behalfes, yet he caused king Iohn to re|store the most part of all those goods that remained vnspent, and also the value of halfe of those that were consumed and made awaie, vnto those persons as well spirituall as temporall, from whom they had béene taken in time of the discord betwixt him and the pope. But before all things could be thus quie|ted and set in order betwixt the king and the bishops, manie méetings were had, as at London, Reading, Wallingford, and in other places.