Clemens episc. s. s. d. Venerabili fratri Guillelmo Episcopo Sodorensi salutem, etc. Cum sicut pro parte tua fuit expositum coram nobis tam pro tuis expensis necessariis quam ecclesize Sodorensis negotiis apud sedem apostolicam et alibi expediendis utiliter to subire oporteat magna opera expensarum, nobis humi-liter supplicasti, ut usque ad summam mille ducentorum flore-norum auri mutuum contrahendi sub modis et formis infrascriptis, sine quibus creditores to putas invenire non posse, tibi largire (sic) tibi licenciam dignaremur ; Nos igitur de tua tam in its quam in aliis circa eadem tua et ipsius ecclesie utiliter promo-venda et expedienda negotia circumspectione ac diligentia plenius in domino confidentes, nee volentes quod propter expensarum ipsarum defectum indigentiam patiaris, vel quod eadem negotia inexpedita remanere contingat, tuis supplicationibus inclinati fraternitati tuæ contrahendi mutuum propter hoc usque ad præ-dictam summam mille ducentorum florenorum auri nomine tuo et ipsius ecclesiæ Sodorensis, ac te et successores tuos episcopos Sodorenses et prædictam ecclesiam ac tua et eorundem bona mobilia et immobilia, præsentia et futura, usque ad summam prædictam propterea dietis creditoribus, usuris omnino cessantibus, obligandi, et rertuntiandi de duabus diætis editæ in concilio generali felicis recordationis Bonifacii papæ octavi prædecessoris nostri, qua cavetur ne quis extra siiam civitatem et dieecesim nisi in certis exceptis casibus et in illis ultra unam diætam a fine suæ dicecesis ad judicium evocetur, et quilmscunque aliis constitutioni-bus a prædecessoribus nostris Romanis Pontificibus super hoc editis, et beneficio restitutionis in irttegrum, ac omnibus litteris et indulgentiis apostolicis impetratis ac etiam impetrandis, om-ni juris canonici et civilis auxilio, ac conuentioni judicum et locorum si eorundem creditorum nomine super iis apostolicis litteris contigerit impetrari, nec non et omnibus aliis exceptionibus per quas contra creditores eosdem tu dictique successores possetis impos-terum vos tueri, plenam auctoritate apostolica concedimus faculta-tem. Voiumus insuper et concedimus juxta quod postulasti a nobis, quod tu et successores prædicti creditoribus ipsis hujusmodi pecuniam de bortis dictæ ecclesiæ solvere, ac damrta expenses et interesse reficere teneamini, si in termino qui ad hoc de tum et ipsorum creditorum consensu fuerit constitutus eadem pecunia non fuerit persoluta, quodque ipsis ereditoribus prætextu alicujus constitutionis canonicæ vel civilis aut eujuscimque privilegii vel indulgentiæ sedis prædictæ de quibus in nostris litteris plenam et expressam ac de verbo ad verbum oporteat fleri mentionem ac per quæ tu et successores præfati valeatis ulterius vos tueri, dictam pecuniam in jam dictæ ecclesiæ utilitatem conversam fore pro-bandi necessitas non incumbat, sed sola tui fatentis confessio in instrumentis conflciendis super mutuo hujusmodi quantitatis in-serta sufficiens plena et efficax probatio irrefragabiliter habeatur. Ceterum ne in liæc vorago locum sibi vendicet usurarum, nostræ intentionis existit et dolumus, quod to et iidem successores dictam ecclesiam Sodorensem tua seu sua vel ipsius bona per ipsas nostras litteras per cujuspiam fraudis seu calliditatis astutiam sub quovis pallio seu colors verborum ad usuras aliquas obligare nullatenus valeatis, easdem lineras, concessiones, cautiones, et recognitiones seu promissiones per eas seu earum auctoritate vel occasions factas quoad obligationes usurarum hujusmodi decern-entes irritas et inanes et nullius penitus existere firmitatis, sis nihilominus quoad præmissa omnia, quæ usurarum pravitatem non sapiant, in suo robore duraturis, nec usurarum prætextu malitiose aliquatenus inpugnandis. Volumus insuper quod dicta ecclesia ac bona ipsius prætextu nostræ concessionis hujusmodi ultra biennium ab obligationis hujusmodi tempore numerandum nullatenus remaneant obligata præsentes litteras et earum effectum quoad ipsam ecclesiam ac bona ejusdem ex tune omnino carers viribus decernentes. Datum Avinione nonis Maii, pontificates nostri anno septimo.

Clement bishop, servant of the servants of God, to our Vener-able Brother William Bishop of the Sodor Diocese, health, etc. Whereas it has been laid before Us upon your part that you have been obliged to incur great and burdensome outlay, as well on account of your own necessary expenses as for the successful carrying on of the affairs of the Seder church, both at the Apostolic See and elsewhere ; and you have therefore humbly asked Us to vouchsafe to grant you permission to contract a loan for the sum of one thousand two hundred gold florins, after the manner and form described below, without which you are of opinion that it is impossible for you to find persons willing to lend; We, fully trusting in the Lord in your circumspection and dili-gence both in these and other things for the profitable advancing and carrying through of these same affairs whether your own or those of the said church, and not wishing that you should suffer from indigence through want of money to meet the said expenses, nor that the above mentioned affairs should remain at a stand still ; acceding to your petition, grant to you, brother, in virtue of Our Apostolic authority, full powers to con-tract a loan on the above account, in your own name and that of the said Sodor church, to the amount of the said sum of one thousand two hundred gold florins, and to encumber both your-self and your successors the Sodor bishops and the said church, and your goods and their goods, both moveable and immoveable, present, and future up to the said amount, for the benefit of the said creditors, who must abstain from any usury ; and to renounce the privileges arising from the law regarding the two days' journey published in the General Council of Our predecessor Pope Boniface VIII. of happy memory, by which law it is ordained that no one should be summoned to trial outside his cathedral city and diocese, except in certain specified cases, and in those not beyond one day's journey from the limits of his diocese ; and those arising from any other- constitutions published by Our predecessors the Roman Pontiffs upon this point ; and to renounce the benefit of reinstatement ; and of all Apostolic letters and grants whether already obtained or which may hereafter be obtained; all help from canon and civil law, and the advantages arising from privileges of tribunal as to judges and places, if on the part of the creditors the requisite permission -,i-ith respect to these Apostolical letters shall have been obtained ; and all other exceptions by which you and your above named successors could in future protect yourselves against the said creditors.

We will, moreover, and grant in accordance with what you have asked of Us, that you and your said successors should be bound to repay to the creditors from the property of the said church this money, and make compensation for losses, expenses, and interest, if, within the term which shall be appointed with your consent and that of the creditors, the money shall not have been paid ; and that the said creditors shall not, under pretext of any constitution canonical or civil, or of any privilege or grant of the aforesaid See of which it is otherwise necessary that full express and word for word mention should be made in Our letters, and by which you and your said successors could further protect yourselves, be necessitated to prove that the said money has been converted to the use of the above named church, but that your declaration inserted in the instruments to be drawn up in regard to the loan to this amount should be indisputably considered a sufficient full and effectual proof.

But lest the mire of ursury should find a place in this business. It is Our intention and will that you and your said successors shall have no power to encumber in favour of such usury, through the instrumentality of Our letters, by the shuffling of any fraud or cunning whatsoever under the cloak or pretence of any words whatsoever, the said Sodor church, and your or their or its property; decreeing null and void, and of no worth whatsoever the said Letters, concessions, bonds, and acknowledgments or promises made through their instrumentality or in virtue or on occasion of them, as to any obligation arising from usury ; the transactions, however, as regards everything not affected by the dishonesty of usury to remain in their full force, and not to be maliciously contested through pretence of usury.

We will, moreover, that the said church and its goods should not under pretext of Our concession remain security more than two years, to be computed from the time of the obligation being contracted ; decreeing that the present letters, and their effect regarding the church and its goods, shall have no force from the expiration of that time.

Given at Avignon, the 7th of May, the seventh year of Our Pontificate.

Any comments, errors or omissions gratefully received The Editor
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