Compare 1577 edition: 1 In this yeare the king held his Christmasse at Winchester, and after comming to Marlebridge, chanced there to fall sicke,The king to sicke. so that he laie in despaire of life for certeine daies togither. In the meane time also came the daie appointed for the parlement to be|gin at Westminster, where the legat and other of the spiritualtie and temporaltie being assembled, the said Otho shewed the popes letters, and according to the tenour and purport of the same, was earnestlie in hand to haue the priests to grant the yearelie pai|ment of a certeine pension or tribute to the pope, towards the maintenance of his estate, which they generallie denied. When he saw that this bait would not take, he onelie demanded a tenth part of all their spirituall liuings for maintenance of the wars a|gainst the Saracens, which was easilie granted, as more reasonable than the first.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 Matt. Westm. Matth. Paris. The cardi|nals request.¶ Here by diuerse credible writers of good credit, it should appeare, that the pope demanded to haue assig|ned vnto him out of euerie cathedrall church two pre|bends, one out of the portion belonging to the bishop, & an other out of the portion belonging to the deane and chapiter: and likewise of the abbeies, where there were seuerall portions, that is to saie, so much of the conuent as belonged to the finding of one moonke, and as much also of euerie abbats liuing as should counteruaile the same. The cardinall vsed iollie per|suasions to induce the prelats to assent to this grant, alledging that the church of Rome was run in great slander for taking of monie in dispatch of suiters causes, which arose by meanes there was no mainte|nance of liuing sufficient for the churchmen there: and therefore he added, how it was the parts of na|turall children to releeue the necessitie of their louing mother, and that except the charitable deuotion of them and other good and well disposed persons were shortlie extended, they should want necessarie main|tenance for the sustentation of their liues, which shuld be altogither an vnséemelie thing for the dignitie of the Romane church.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 The clergie resorting togither to take aduise what answer they should make, at length vpon their re|solute determination,The answer of Iohn the archdeacon of Bedford. Iohn the archdeacon of Bed|ford was appointed to tell the tale for them all: who comming before the cardinall, declared boldlie vnto him, that the demand which he had proponed, touched the king especiallie, and generallie all the nobilitie of the realme, which were patrons of anie churches. He added furthermore, how the archbishops and bi|shops, and manie other of the prelats of England (si|thens the king by reason of his sickenesse could not be there) were also absent, so that they which were there present, being but as it were the inferiour part of the house, neither might nor ought to make anie resolute answer as then in this matter. Immedi|atlie herewith also came the lord Iohn Marshall, and other messengers from the king vnto all the prelats that held anie baronies of the king, streightlie com|manding them, that they should in no wise bind and indanger his laie fée vnto the church of Rome, where|by he might be depriued of his due and accustomed seruices, and so euerie man herevpon departed and went home.