prince to tax the clergy without express leave of the Pope.  Any layman who exacted, or any cleric who paid, was at once excommunicate.  Boniface, who had been pope two years, put forward far more arrogant pretensions than Gregory or Innocent had done, but times were changed.  The Kings of England and France were at once in opposition.  The latter (Philip IV.) was more cautious than his English neighbour, and in the uncompromising struggle between king and pope, the latter died of grief at defeat, and his successor was compelled, besides making other concessions, to remove the papal residence from Rome to Avignon, where it continued for seventy years, the popes being French nominees.  King Edward, with some trouble, got his money, but promised to repay it when the war was over, and the clergy succeeded in wresting some additional privileges from him, which they afterwards used to advantage.

We pass over the unhappy reign of Edward II., only noting that the Bishop of Exeter, Stapylton, who was ruling for him in London, was dragged out of St. Paul’s, where he had taken sanctuary, and beheaded in Cheapside.  He was the founder of Exeter College, Oxford.

The exile of the popes to Avignon, so far from diminishing their rapacity, increased it, if possible, and Green shows that the immense outlay on their grand palace there caused the passing of the Statute of Provisors in 1350, for the purpose of stopping the incessant draining away of English wealth to the papacy.  During that “seventy years’ captivity,” as it was called, Italy and Rome were revolutionised, and when at length the popes returned to their ancient city (1376) the great “papal schism” began, which did so much to bring on the Reformation.  It arose out of the Roman people’s determination to have an Italian pope, and the struggle of the French cardinals to keep the dignity for Frenchmen.  The momentous results of that fierce conflict only concern us here indirectly.  We simply note now that the year following the return to Rome saw John Wyclif brought to account at St. Paul’s.

But before following that history, it will not be out of place to take another survey of our cathedral during these years, apart from fightings and controversies.  St. Paul’s had been most closely connected with the continually growing prosperity of the city.  The Lord Mayor was constantly worshipping there in state with his officers.  On the 29th of October each year (the morrow of SS.  Simon and Jude) he took his oath of office at the Court of Exchequer, dined in public, and, with the aldermen, proceeded from the church of St. Thomas Acons (where the Mercers’ Chapel now is) to the cathedral.  There a requiem was said for Bishop William, as already described,[3] then they went on to the tomb of Thomas Becket’s parents, and the requiem was again said.  This done they returned by Cheapside to the Church of St. Thomas Acons, where each man offered a penny.  On All Saints’ Day (three days later) they went