About  this  time,  the  bishop  of  Winchester,  at  the  sugges-
tion of  the  Preachers  and  Minorite^  as  is  stated,  practised:


JUP.  1246.]    THE  KING  FBOHIBITS  ANOTHER  EXACTION.        191

oippressions  on  those  subject  to  him,  more  than  was  either
becoming  or  expedient,  so  much  so,  that  he  caused  strict  in-
quisitions to  be  made  in  his  bishopric  by  his  arohdeapeons  and
deans,  concerning  the  continence  and  morals  of  the  noble  as
well  as  ignoble,  to  the  enormous  injury  of  the  good  name,
and  to  the  scandal  of  many ;  for  such  had  never  be^  a  custom
before.  The  king^  therefore,  hearing  the  heavy  com^^Udnts
of  the  people,  by  the  advice  of  his  court,  wrote  to  the  sheriff
of  Hei^onl  as  follows  :  "  Henry,  by  the  grace  of  God  kmg  of
England,  d^c — ^We  order  you,  as  you  regard  yourself  and  all
your  property,  not  to  allow  any  laymen  of  your  bailiwick,  at
the  wish  of  the  bishop  of  Lmcoln,  the  archdeacons,  other
officials,  or  rural  deans,  henceforth  to  assemble  at  any  place
to  make  recognizances  in  oath  or  any  attestations,  unless  iu
matrimonial  or  testamentary  causes."  The  bishopy  on  hearing
this,  declared  that  the  king  was  about  to  follow  in  the  steps
of  certain  conspirators,  who  had  already  broken  out  into
gimilar  audacity  in  France  (of  whom  a  fuller  account  is  given
in  a  further  page  of  this  work).
Cfthepop€^$  tyranmctd  exaction  qf  money.
