ABSTRACT
Narrative sources for the period are equally sparse in allusions to the papacy, and might again leave an impression of indifference to it, at least after the time of the council of Constance. It is hardly surprising that the monastic continuator of the Croyland chronicle showed a wider interest in ecclesiastical affairs than the London writers. The chroniclers’ comparative indifference to the papacy might suggest that it made little impression on Englishmen, but such a conclusion cannot be justified. The power to dispense from the provisions of canon law was a recognised right of the pope, and one which was noted in varying tones by two major English scholars of the century, the detached canonist William Lyndwood and the atrabilious theologian Thomas Gascoigne. Papal grants could also affect the spiritual lives of individuals as well as the corporate worship of communities. The seeking of favours from Rome was therefore prompted by the desire for spiritual well-being.
