294 ConsfitIitlonal History.
castrian to maintain the doctrine, or to anticipate the first
impulses, of personal absolutism. We need trouble ourselves
with no suclι problem : the constitution had in its grðwth out-
run the capacity of the nation ; the nation needed rest and
renewal, discipline and reformation, before it could enter into
the enjoyment of its birthright. The present days were evil ;
we cannot look without pity and sorrow on that generation of
cur fathers whose virtues were exemplified in Henry of Lan-
caster and its strength in Edward of Yoik.
CHAPTER XIX.
THE CLERGY, THE KING, AND THE POPE.
374. Problem of Church and State.—375. Plan of the chapter.-—376. The
clerical estate or spiritualty.—377. Relations between the Pope and
the Crown.—378. Appointment of Bishops.—379. The pall.—380.
Legations.—381. Papal interference in election of bishops.-—382.
Elections in the thirteenth century.—383. The pope’s claim to confer
the temporalities.—384. Γapal provisions.—385. Legislation on pro-
visions.—386. The compromise on elections.—387. Elections to ab-
bacies.—388. The ecclesiastical assemblies.—389. Ecclesiastical
Legislation; for the clergy by the clergy.—390. By the clergy for
the laity.—391. By parliament for the clergy.—392. Statute of pro-
visors.—393. Statute of praemunire.—394. Legislation in parliament
for the national church.—395. Ecclesiastical Taxation ; by the
pope.—396, Taxation by convocation.—397. Attempt in parliament
to tax the clergy.—398. Of the clergy to tax the laity.—399. Eccle-
siastical Judicature ; of the king’s courts over the clergy.—400. Of
the court Christian; in temporal matters.—401. In disciplinary cases.
—402. Over ecclesiastics.—403. Appeals to Rome.—404. Legislation
against heresy.—405. Social importance of the clergy.—406. Intel-
lectual and moral influence of the clergy.
374. The position of the clerical estate, and the importance importance
p . . . _ . n . of the rela-
Oi ecclesiastical influence in the development of the Constitution, tionsof the
have in the foregoing chapters presented themselves so promi- the state,
nently, that a reader who approaches medieval history from an
exclusively modern starting-point may well suppose that these
subjects have already received more than a due share of atten-
tion. But there still remain many points of ecclesiastical
interest, which have a close bearing on national growth ; and
without some comprehension of these it is vain to attempt to
understand the transitional period which wo have now reached,
or to estimate the true value of the influences which the coming