ve been extremely prejudiced against
the papal power, and even somewhat against their own clergy, because of
their connections with the Roman pontiff. The parliament pretended, that
the usurpations of the pope were the cause of all the plagues, injuries,
famine, anc poverty of the realm; were more destructive to it than
al the wars; and were the reason why it contained not a third of the
inhabitants and commodities which it formerly possessed: that the taxes
levied by him exceeded five times those which were paid to the king;
that every thing was venal in that sinful city of Rome; and that even
the patrons in England had thence learned to practise simony without
shame or remorse.[***] At another time, they petition the king to employ
no churchman in any office of state;[****] and they even speak in plain
terms of expelling by force the papal authority, and thereby providing
a remedy against oppressions, which they neither could, nor would, any
longer endure.[*****] Men who talked in this strain, were not far from
the reformation: but Edward did not think proper to second all this
zeal. Though he passed the statute of provisors, he took little care
of its execution; and the parliament made frequent complaints of his
negligence on this head.[******] He was content with having reduced such
of the Romish ecclesiastics as possessed revenues in England, to depend
entirely upon him by means of that statute.

As to the police of the kingdom during this period, it was certainly
better than during times of faction, civil war, and disorder, to which
England was so often exposed: yet were there several vices in the
constitution, the bad consequences of which all the power and vigilance
of the king could not prevent. The barons, by their confederacies
with those of their own order, and by supporting and defending their
retainers in every iniquity,[*******] were the chief abettors of
robbers, murderers, and ruffians of all kinds; and no law could be
executed against those criminals.

* 25 Edward III. 27 Edward III.

** 27 Edward III. 38 Edward III.

*** Cotton, p. 74, 128, 129.

**** Cotton, p. 112.

***** Cotton, p. 41.

****** Cotton, p. 119, 128 129, 130, 143.

******* 11 Edward III. cap. 14.

******** 4 Edward III. cap.

********* 15 Edward III cap. 4.

The nobility were brought to give their promise in parliament, that they
would not avow retain, or support any felon or