The bretherne shall nothynge appropre to them, nother in howsing nor in londis, nor in rent nor in any maner of thynge, but lyke pilgrimis and strangers in this world, in pouerte and mekenes, saruyng Almyghty God. They shalle feithefully, boldly, and surely and mekely goo for almys. Nor they shalnot nor owghte not to be ashamed, for our Lord made hym self poor in this worlde.
+Source.+--_Roger of Wendover_, vol. ii., pp. 466-468. (Bohn's Libraries.)
In the meantime the period fixed on for holding the council at Westminster at the Feast of S. Hilary was now come, at which the King, the clergy, and nobles of the kingdom were bound to appear to hear the Pope's message. Many Bishops, therefore, with others of the clergy and laity, assembled at the above place, and Master Otho, the messenger of our lord the Pope, of whom mention has been made before, read the Pope's letters in the hearing of them all. In these letters the Pope set forth a great scandal and old abuse of the Holy Church of Rome--namely, an accusation of avarice, which is said to be the root of all evil, and especially because no one could manage any business at the Court of Rome without a lavish expenditure of money and large presents. "But since the poverty of the Roman Church is the cause of this offence and evil name, it is the duty of all to alleviate the wants of their mother and father as natural sons; because unless we received presents from you and other good and honourable men, we should be in want of the necessaries of life, which would be altogether inconsistent with the dignity of the Roman Church. In order, therefore, utterly to destroy this abuse, we, by the advice of our brethren the Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church, have provided certain terms, to which if you will agree, you may free your mother from insult, and obtain justice at the Court of Rome without the necessity of making presents. Our provided terms are these: In the first place, we require two prebends to be granted to us from all cathedral churches, one from the portion of the Bishop and another from the chapter; and from monasteries in the same way where there are different portions for the abbot and the convent; and from convents the share of one monk, on an equal distribution being made of their property, and the same from the abbot."