[1] To conclude, his demands were estéemed vnrea|sonable, Matth. Paris. The church|men being pinched by their pursses, fret and fume against the popes procé [...]|dings in that behalfe. so that the bishops and abbats were in a mar|uellous perplexitie, perceiuing into what miserable state by reason of immoderate exactions the church of England was brought. The bishop of London stic|ked not to saie, that he would rather lose his head, than consent that the church should be brought to such seruitude as the legat went about to inforce. And the bishop of Worcester openlie protested, that he would sooner suffer himselfe to be hanged, than to sée the church subiect to such oppression by their examples. O|ther also taking a boldnesse vnto them, affirmed,The bishops would rather become mar|tyrs, than lose their monie. that they would follow the steps of Thomas sometime archbishop of Canturburie, which for the liberties of the church suffered himselfe to haue his braines cut out of his head. Yet were those prelats euill troubled, for the king was against them on the one side, and the pope gaping after monie was become their vt|ter enimie on the other: neither were the Noble men much mooued with pitie towards the church their mo|ther (as the terme then went) now thus in miserie.