of Salisbury on whom hee listed and for our dignity that it was in euery point diminished vntill the Legates comming All this did the Bishop certify vs by his Chaplayne beeing a Cannon Regular and a Religious man whom hee sent to excuse his forbearance of comming to vs at our cyting for wee cyted him once and agayne and lastly the third time with a peremptory Mandate to appeare beefore vs beetweene that and the feast of the Purification as a man of great authority the kinges familiar and one who should mediate a peace beetweene his Maiestie and us if possibly it might bee compased All this the Cannon is ready to testify by oath that thus hee receaued the same from the mouth of the Bishop to bee deliuered on his beehalfe to vs. Which if it bee true then doubtles our lord the Pope hath choaked and strangled not our person only but alsoe himselfe with all the Clergy of both the kingdomes yea verily both Churches as well of France as England for animated with this most foule example what will not other Princes of the world dare attempt against Ecclesiasticall persons To whom shall they haue refuge How can they hee confident of the Church of Rome that hath soe forsaken and left destitute vs who maintaine her cause with fighting therefore to the very death What will beefall if these vnspeakeable and detestable priuiledges standing good together with the oppressions as well by the king as others vnder any pretext it should soe happen which God forbid that the Pope should dye or the Citty runne into confusion of troubles All these would then descend on their heires nor would euer heereafter bee wrested out of their hands And what is far worse other Princes stirred vp with this example would extorte the like priuiledges to bring the Church whether shee will or no into subiection Soe shall the Churches whole liberty vtterly decay together with the iurisdiction and power of Bishoppes no man remayning who is able to controule and restaine the outrages of Tyrants whose whole intention is at this day bent to make hauocke of the Church and Clergy nor will they haue brought them like others into bondage What will bee the end wee know not but this wee knowe that our greife exceedeth measure bee these thinges true or false which are thus propounded For wee are neither obeyed nor respected in any thing as wee were wont by Bishoppes or Abbotts or others of the Clergy of England beeing now assured of our deposition But let our Lord the Pope bee perswaded that wee will neuer on any condition passe ouer into the kinges Dominion to haue there our cause decyded nor will wee euer abide the iudgment of our enemyes and especially of Papyan who thirsteth nothing but our blood thereby to obtayne our seate which in truth as wee heare is allready promised him vpon condition the king may bee deliuered of vs. Wee haue also an other exceeding greiuance The nobles as well temporall peeres as Bishoppes with other Prelates of the kingdome of France as it were despairing now of vs shake of and send vs backe againe the Associates of our exile whom they haue heatherto mercifully relieued and what will these but perish heereafter with cold and famyne as others their fellowes haue formerly donne Intimate all these thinges diligently to our Lord the Pope that hee may prouyde vs some remedy against these mischeifes according to our request if as yet any zeale of God remayneth in him as wee hope it doth and wee pray God our hope confoundeth not Farewell and with all speede returne vs backe this messanger againe who may as well in these as other matters certify vs who rest streyghtned in great extremitys if thinges are soe as wee heare them reported And thus Saint Thomas wrote to his agent being lieger for him in the Citty But heere ended not the complaints poured out against Pope Alexander For now remayneth to be recyted an other epistle of Lumbard SubdeacoÌ„ of the Sea Apostolike who liued at this present in France and wrote thence to the Pope for it is first thus intytuled To Pope Alexander Lumbard Subdeacon of the Roman Church And afterwardes beeginneth thus To the reuerent father and Lord Alexander by the grace of God High Bishop Lumbarde his faithfull Clearke remembreth his seruice of obedience Cod Vat. lib. 1 epist 165. Whereas I am seruante to your Holines and in Christ the worke of your handes I neither can nor ought to dissemble the slanders openly spread to the reproch of your renowne and derogation of your name and such mischeifes as are subtilly deuised to the detriment of the whiâ—â— Church For Iohn of Oxeforde insolently vaunteth hee is returned from Rome with the honor of a Deanry and the fullnes of your fauor adding arrogantly withall that hee is fortifyed with your priuiledge against my Lord of Canterbury and euery Bishop and beeing as it were litle inferior to the Courte of Cardinalls that hee is subiect to you only and your Apostolike power glorying moreouer in his pryde hee affirmeth hee hath procured that for the king which neuer kingdome could yet obtayne which is the confirmation of a Mariage by your authority beetweene the king of Englandes sonne and the Earle of Britaines daughter beeing Cosyns in the third degree And lastly that Legates such as he desired were to bee sent to heare and determine whatsoeuer it should please the king to deuise against my lord of Canterbury without any remedy of Appeale All this most holyfather vpon Iohns returne from Rome was diuulged which by how much they were the more vnusuall how much the more rare to bee compased soe much they more amazed the heares myndes whereupon the king of France the deuoute childe of your Holines and of the Church was soe passionatly moued as hee sayd hee would presently addresse a message to forbid your Legates to enter his Realme and more hee did which I willed this Bearer by word of mouth to deliuer Hee resolued moreouer to assemble his Archbishoppes and Bishoppes beefore whom hee would lay open and declare how the Church of Rome rayseth alofte the malicious enemyes as well of him as her selfe endeauoring to depresse his power saying and doth hee not seeke my dishonor who subtelly compasseth to worke the death of the Archbishop of Canterbury an innocent man banished for iustice and the Churches liberty by yeelding him wickedly vp into the handes of his persecuting enemyes whom not in respect of any fauour receaued by him hauing rather bin wronged by him whyle hee serued the king who now seeketh his ouerthrowe but moued with reuerence of the most iuste cause hee mayntaineth with admiration of his vertue and the loue of my Lord the Pope who instantly entreated mee for him I constantly resolued to entertayne honorably and decently as long as hee remayned in exile and to noursih him as it were in my bosome as I haue allready beegunne denouncing to all and openly protesting
feared least the incensed bee thereuppon faer more inraged What shall I therefore doe speake Or hold my peace since on euery side danger menaceth mee But beecause it is safer to fall into the indignation of man then into the handes of our liuing Lord beeing confident in the mercy of the highest in whose handes are the heartes of Kinges Daniel 13. inclining them to what side be◠lifteth and I wish to the better I will speake to my Lord since I haue once beegun for many times benefitts are prepared euen for the vnwilling especially when wee aduise them rather for their saftie then pleasure His admonition concerning the estate of the Church In your realme is held captiue the daughter Sion the spouse of the mightie king is oppressed by many beeing afflicted by those who haue long time hated her and of whom shee rather should bee honoured then aggreeued especially of your selfe weyghing therefore seriously in your owne conscience the singular benefitts which God hath beestowed on you in the first entrance of your raigne in the midst thereof and euen allmost to this very day loose now her bandes and suffer her to rule together with her spouse that God may bountifully blesse you your kingdome instantly recouer his former power obloquie bee washed away from your generation and singular peace flourish in your dayes Giue credit to mee most beeloued Lord most renowned Prince for our Lord with patience repayeth with longanimity expecteth but with terror reuengeth Listen to mee and doe well otherwise ought you to dread which God forbid least the Amighty beegirt with his swoard on his thigh and come in a strange hand with a huge army to deliuer his spouse not without greeuous punishment from her oppression and seruitude of tribulation but if you will harken vnto mee beecause our Lord hath at this instant most vrgent occasion to make tryall of your obsequious seruice as of his couragious souldier God will poure out his benefittes on you adding glory to the posterity of your sonnes and daughters in long induring ages Otherwise I feare which God forbid that the swoard shall neuer departe from your family vntill hee commeth who shall fully reuenge the iniury offered him and his beeing God Almighty himselfe like to the plague which left not the house of Solomon from whom although God made choyse of him ād gaue him that abundance of wisedome ād peace as it was sayd of all This is the sōne of wisedome and peace yet beecause hee flew backe from the wayes of our Lord and walked in iniquity vpon iniquity God rent his kingdome and gaue it to his seruant especially in reguard hee sought not instantly after his sinne to appease the wrath of our Lord like Dauid his father who presently vpon his offence humbled himselfe to God corrected his fault beesought mercy and obtayned pardon I would to Almighty God that you likewise through the grace of our Lord would imitate his example And thus much for the present I write the rest I leaue to the relation of this bearer a man Religious and of great estimation and as I suppose your faithfull seruant vnto whom I humbly beeseech you if it pleaseth your Maiestie that you will confidently giue credit although I rather desire with your royall fauour to speake with your selfe in presence God grant my Lord and king now and euer well to fare Thus much to the king sending also by the same messinger these letters worthie your attention to the Bishop of Hereforde Thomas by the grace of God the humble seruante of the Church of Canterbury to his reuerent brother Robert The letter of saint Thomas to Robert Bishop of Hereford by the same grace Bishope of Hereforde sendeth greeting and wisheth him in all thinges well to doe If my letter had stirred vp in your Brotherhood a carefull diligence I had not found you slougthfull in your affection or not effectually watchfull for discharging the duty of your vndertaken office I haue made choyse to bee an abiect to bee accursed for all to bee the obloquio of men and the out cast of the people to the end I may not see the calamityes of the Saintes and rather then to dissemble the iniurys of our nation expecting if perchance any one among yee beeing zealous of the law of God and thirsting the liberty of the Church would come after and ioyne with mee that wee might not yeeld hornes of power to offendors and beehould you who as I beeleiued was beestowed on mee by God that together with mee might build pull downe and plant beegin to mee with conuerting your spurre of zeale to ruine and your comforte to despaire preaching humiliation nay deiection and denouncing goodnes when on all sides there is nothing left but trouble to the destruction of the Church of God and of his cleargie yea euen at such time when as you ought cheifely to confirme with constācy the wauering mynde and indure with mee the combate for defence of the patrimony of the crucify'd for repressing and subduing the enemyes of the Church to sound into myne eares to breath into my head that I should intreate more instantly reproue more sharply rebuke more seuerely and if prechance they listen not to mee then truly to cry out to mee Arise Why doe you sleepe Plucke out the swoard of sainct Peeter reuenge the blood of the seruantes of Christ which is poured forth with the iniurys of the Church that in you and vs are dayly sustained Is it cleane slipt out of your memory with how greate iniuries I was afflicted with what reproches abused when in my person Christ was againe before the Tribunal of a Prince adiuged I call not againe to minde the wrong offered to myne owne person allthough the same was also in truth to the Church Marke you more diligently consider deepely in your harte what was done beefore my departure out of the land what in my departure and what after my departure yea what is done euery day in the realme against the Church of God his cleargie with what conscience can these things bee dissembled by you who was expected to bee a Redeemer of Israel a champion to deliuer the Church out of bondage And now beecause you haue bin soe long silent I poure out my plaintes against you O my eldest sonne I feare an other will step in your place to beereaue you of your inheritance yea win from you which God forbid the blessing of an heire But allthough hetherto you haue rested silent recouer now your courage againe my dearest sonne Cry out and cease not Lift vp your voyce on high against them darte feare into their heartes strike into them contrition force out of them satisfaction least otherwise the wrath of God fall downe vpon them and the whole nation or which God forbid on the mightyst Potentates of the kindome for the iust reuenge of God hangeth euen now ouer their heades This I write not to confound
liues beecause hee is terrible and who can resiste him You ought neuer to forget in what state God did first finde you then how hee promoted honored exalted you how hee blessed you with royal issue confirmed the throne of your kingdome and in despight of all your enemyes inriched you with ample possessions in soe much as to this very houre all men with admiration pronounce This is hee whom our Lord hath chosen And what shall you yeeld or what can you render for all these bountyes beestowed by him on you Will you at their instinct and instance who persecute aboute you the Church and Ecclesiasticall persons and haue euer to their power afflicted them repay euill for good with oppressions tribulations iniuryes vexations to Churches and their Cleargy Are not these the persons of whom our Lord sayth Who heareth you heareth mee who contemneth you despiseth mee who toucheth you toucheth the aple of myne eye If truly leauing all you possesse you take vp your crosse and follow our Lord Iesus Christ hardly shall you yea neuer shall you bee found faithfull and gratefull enough to recompense these his benefitâ—s receaued Search out the Scriptures of such as knowe them and you shall finde that Saul although chosen by our Lord 1. Reg. 15. 2. Paral. 20. yet neuertheles beecause hee wandred from his wayes was punished with the ouerthrowe of himselfe and his family Ozias also king of Iuda whose fame was spread both far and wyde and was soe highly renowned for the many victoryes beestowed on him by our Lord had to the downefall of his owne destruction his harte so puffed vp in regard that God did at all tymes assist and strengthen him that contemming the reuerence due to our Lord hee would needes vsurpe to himselfe a matter no whit appertayning to his office but only to the preisthoode which was to offer incense on the altar of our Lord and therefore was strooken by our Lord with a leprosy and by the handes of the preistes cast out from the temple of our Lord and soe remayned till his dying day a foule Leper in respect whereof hee was banished the house of Allmighty God In like sorte many other kinges who mightely abounded in riches beecause they walked aboue themselues in the maruelles of this world presuming to rebell against our Lord perished and in the last gaspe found none of their riches left in their handes Moroeuer king Azarias wrongfully intruding himselfe likewise into the preistly office Reg 15. was punished with a leprosie 2. Reg 6. Lastly Oza though not a king but for touching the Arke of our Lord and vphoulding it beeing in danger to fall by reason of the Oxens stumbling yet beecause this appertayned not to his charge but to the offices of the temple beeing wounded by Gods indignation fell headlong dead hard by the Arcke of our Lord A king according to the common prouerbe chastised by the misfortune of an other looketh more narrowly to himselfe For you are neere an euill turne When as your neighbours house doth burne Allmighty God most deere soueraigne would that thinges appertayning to the disposition of the Church should beelong to preistes and not to secular powers who if they bee Christians his deuine pleasure is they should bee subiectes vnto the preistes of his Church Challenge not therefore to your selfe an others office or right neither rayse contention against him by whom all thinges are ordayned for feare least yee seeme to fight against the benefitts of him from whom you receiue your authority It is not the will of Allmighty God that the Clergie of the Christian religion should bee either ordered or censured by publicke lawes or secular Princes but by Bishpps and priestes Christian kinges ought to submitt the excecution of their designes to Ecclesiasticall Pastors and not preferre their customes beefore them For it is written that none ought to pronounce iudgment against preistes but the Church nor doth it beelong to temporall lawes to giue sentence ouer such Christian Princes were wont to obey the Canons of the Church and not to ouerpoyse with their power Ecclesiasticall Constitutions to humble their crowned heades vnto their Bishoppes not to determyne ouer their Bishoppes for two states there are in which doth principally consist this worlds gouerment the Bishoppes sacred authority and the kingly power wherein the worthynes of preisthood is of farr greater weyght beecause they must in the day of iudgment render an accompt of kinges themselues Yee ought truly to knowe that yee are bound to depend on their iudgmentes and not to haue them reduced to your wills For many Bishoppes haue excommunicated some kinges others Emperors and if you would knowe any particulers concerning the persons of these Princes Innocentius excommunicated the Emperor Arcadius beecause hee consented to haue saint Iohn Chrisostome banished out of his Sea Saint Ambrose for one fault which in the eyes of other preistes appeared not so heynous excommunicated and cast out of the Church the Emperor Theodosius the great who hauing made condigne satisfaction obtayned absolution And many others such like are to this purpose 2. Reg. 12. Dauid also hauing committed adultery and murder Nathan the Prophet was sent to him by God to reproue and correct him admonished hee was and soone amended for the king laying asyde his royall Diadem and casting away his Imperiall Maiesty was not ashamed to humble himselfe beefore the face of the Prophet to confesse his synne and craue pardon for his offence what shall I say more conducted by pennance hee beesought mercy and obtayned forgiuenes Bee it so with you o deerest beeloued sonne most renowned king most honored Lord according to the example of most excellent Dauid that most godly king of whom our Lord sayd 1 Reg. 13. I haue found a man according to myne owne harte Bee you in like sorce with a contrite and humble hart conuerted to our Lord God and doe seuere pennance for your sundâ—y excesses for you haue falleÌ„ downe headlong and erred in many thinges which as yet I conceale expecting if soe bee it our Lord will inspire you so as you may say with the Prophet Haue mercy on mee ô God according to thy great mercy Psal 24.50 Psalm 33. beecause I haue much offended thee and committed sin in thy sight for God is at hand to them who are righteous of harte and will saue the humble in spiritt Thus for this tyme my Lord I write vnto you suppressing the rest in silence vntill I see whether my speech may fasten on you and bring forth of you fruites worthy of pennance that I may heare by the reporte of others and congratulate with them who shall tell mee your sonne and king was dead but is reuiued was lost but is found againe If soe bee that you will not heare mee who was accustomed to pray for you with abundance of teares and exceeding sighes beefore the Maiestie of the body of Christ I will assuredly in
them to absolue the Clearkes without â—endering any oath which when they resolutely denyed to doe my Lord the king hasted to horse and getting vp swoare in the presence of all there that hee would neuer dureing life harken againe to my lord the Pope or any other for your peace or restitution Whervpon all the Archbishoppes and Bishoppes there present came to the Nuntios beeseeching them for Gods loue to accomplish his requestes wherunto with great difficulty they assented which beeing graunted the king alighted and beeganne againe to consult with them and presently after calling all who were in peace together the king beegan to discourse saying Hee would haue them all vnderstand that you departed not out of England at his instance and that he had often recalled you backe againe to returne and giue him satisfaction for such matters as hee alleadged against you and you euer refused but now the case soe stood that hee vpon the entreaty and commandement of my Lord the Pope did fully restore vnto you your Archbishoppricke and peace to all those who for your sake departed his dominion This graunte of peace the king confirmed about nyne of the clocke remayning afterwardes very pleasant and causing certaine other matters to bee handled in his presence which beeing finished hee returned again to the Nuntios desiring them that the Bishoppes might goe ouer into England for absoluing them who were there excommunicate Which when they absolutely denyed the king grew angry and made a new request that at the least one of them would passe ouer while the other remayned there and if that were distastefull to them they would send but one of their Cleakes whom hee would enrich with reuenues beefore his returne all which when Gratian who as wee hope is the sonne of grace againe denyed my lord the king beeing very much inraged departed away saying in their hearing Doe what you like I weigh neither you nor your excoÌ„munication nor prize them the value of an egge and with these wordes hee mounted on horsebacke to gett him thence but the Archbishoppes with all the Bishoppes followed telling him that hee spoake impiously Afterwardes hee alighted and consulted with them in which counsell was concluded that all the Bishoppes should wryte to my Lord the Pope certifying him how the kinge in their hearing offered you peace and was in euery point ready to obey my Lord the Popes commandement but the Nuntios were in fault wherby it was not performed Afterwardes hauing wasted a little tyme in indighting these letters and the king as one enflamed with a wonderfull fury leauing them often the Bishoppes comminge to him sayde what would these Nuntios haue And showing him my Lord the Popes Mandate inioyninge them to accomplish the Nuntios commandement the king answered I know I know they will interdict my land but cannot I who am euery day able to take a most strong Castle take one Clearke who shall interdict my land Yet when in the end they yeelded in some degree to satisfy his desire the tempest of his anger was layde and returning to himselfe hee sayde vnles yee conclude this night a peace yee shall neuer come so neere this point againe and when they had awhile trauelled in the busines assembling them all together hee vsed these wordes It is conuenient I should doe very much at the intreaty of my Lord the Pope beecause hee is our Lord and father in regarde wherof I restore to the Archbishoppe his Sea with my peace and the like to all those who for his sake haue departed the land Wherupon the Nuntios and all there present thanked his Maiestie and then the king moreouer added If I haue not as now donne sufficiently I will to morowe by your aduyse supply what is yet wanting On the morowe beeing the Kalends of September about twelue of the Clocke they assembled together ad hauing long treated aboute absoluing the Excommunicate without obligation of oath it came to that passe as G. Rydell with Nigellus de Sackeuyle and Thomas Fitz-Bernard laying their handes on the Bible there present sayde that in the word of truth they would accomplish the Nuntios commandement Then was it required of the Nuntios that all they vpon whom my Lord the king in this tyme of disturbance had beestowed your Churches might enioy them according to the tenor of his Maiesties guifte but as wee heard the conclusion was that they should bee left free to your disposition Afterwards it was determined the Bishoppes should set downe in wryting the forme of peace which the king had granted And this did the king to the end that one of the Nuntios should passe ouer into England for absoluing the excommmunicate And beeing departed vpon these termes after three howers within night the king sayde hee would haue inserted in the articles of peace these wordes with the reseruation of the dignity of his kingdome wherunto as wee heard Gratian absolutely denyed euer to yeilde and vpon this word as yet they differ determining to returne on the Natiuity of Saint Mary the Virgen to Cane there finally to conclude more fully the whole busines Thus farre concerning the meeting of the Nuntios with the king Gratian is highly commended who would neuer condescend to admitt this forme of wordes coÌ„cerning which Iohn of Salisbury wrote in this sorte to Iohn Bishop of Poytiers Many conceaue a hope that the sonne of grace whose name agreeth with his actions the Nephew of blessed Eugenius will sincerely proceede according to the Euangelicall truth the glory of the Apostolicall Maiestie and the honor and peace of the distressed Church for hee knoweth assuredly that taking this course hee shall purchase to himselfe eternall glory beefore God and men And in regarde hee findeth but few vpon whom hee may boldly rely I beeseech you to coÌ„firme and strengthen in our Lord his constancy The king by Gods fauour is well able to pay and for penitents it is certayne the sinne shall not bee forgiuen vnles what is wrongfully taken away bee restored c. For wheras hee thought there was no reconciliation of peace without restitution of the goodes taken away from the Church Salisbury praysing these his proceedinges sayth The king God willing is well able to satisfy and penitents may bee assured they can neuer obtayne remission of their sinnes if what they haue taken away bee not restored when they haue ability to doe it for otherwise it is not pennance but a fayned Hypocrisy And hee againe as touching absolution giuen without promise of satisfaction and also concerning that clause with preseruation of the dignity of the kingdome beeing the wordes which Gratian reiected sayth moreouer If the king haue his will to inserte in the articles of agreement The preseruation of the dignity of his kingdome hee hath the victory for confirmation of his customes with only alteration of the wordes and hath banished cleane out of England all the Authority of the Roman Church But God forbid that euer assent should
bee giuen to any of these and I am assured my Lord of Canterbury will rather make choyse of banishement during life then for recouering his peace the Church of God should sustayne damage or the Apostolike Sea bee depriued of her priuiledge Perswade therfore my Lord Gratian to proceede warily in all affayres but aboue all in these Articles least which God forbid hee bee deceaued by the suttle wittes of lurking Foxes You see his vnaduised arrogancy hee who the last yeere as you haue heard scorned peace beecause sainct Thomas endeauored to mayntayne that forme of speech which was I commend the whole cause to your disposition with the reseruation of the honor of God for which only wordes hee reuyled the sainct with slanders and reproches now extolling himselfe aboue all whatsoeuer is worshipped hee would not haue the reseruation of the honor of God but the preseruation of his kingdomes dignity concluded in the conditions of peace Beecause therfore the Bishoppes who were elected by the king to penne the forme of peace could not perswade the Nuntios to admitt the forme aforesayde they deuysing with thēselues an other forme of peace A new forme of peace deuised by the Bishoppes did by the Bishop of Roane signify the same to the king in these wordes Wee could by no meanes obtayne of the Nuntios to admitt that forme of peace which you left with vs in regarde of the Clauses that as well by you as them were set downe on either syde both manifould and doubtfull Cod. Vat lib. 3. Epist 13. and for them to departe abruptly and with despaire of peace seemeth neither agreable to your honor or profitt hauing therfore considered many wayes with our selues wee happened in the end on such a forme of wordes wherin there is not the least derogation to your dignity and honor nor yet can bee ministred heereafter to Canterbury any cause of contention which is thus That for the loue of God and respect to our Lord the Pope you giue the Archbishop leaue to returne into England and cause him to haue his Archbishoppricke as amply as hee enioyed the same beefore his departure and also restore to them who either with him or for his cause left the kingdome their owne againe For this shorte and playne forme of wordes pleased vs best because it seemeth not enwrapped in any suttell deuises or suspitions wherupon wee consell and perswade you that you question not to yeeld your assent therunto And thus much Roane deliured to the king But the king vnderstanding by the Bishoppes that the Nuntios would in no case admitt the former clause which was The reseruation of the dignity of his kingdome beeing greatly incensed with anger did instantly heerupon send away two Embassadors to Pope Alexander with letters farced with complayntes requiring also the Bishoppes whom he assembled for this purpose to wryte by the same Embassadours to his Holines word by word to the same effecte all which are yet extant Ibid. Epist. 19.20.21.22 But Viuian one of the Popes Nuntios perceauing how the king addressed Embassadours in this sorte to his Holines fearing they should any way vndermyne him determined instantly to send a messanger Post by whom hee certifyed the Pope in wryting the true and faythfull relation of all their proceedinges hitherto out of the contents whereof besides the fore recyted dealinges let vs heere lay open such occurrences as beefell after the Nuntios fayling of their purpose departed from the king These are the wordes The Bishoppes beeing very earnest on the kings beehalfe that wee would admitte these wordes Ibid. Epist 26. with reseruation of the dignity of the kingdome Wee answered wee will agree to the wordes of the king so as yee will consent to the wordes of our Lord wee meant with preseruation of the liberty of the Church which they would not allowe neither yet the king allthough hee knewe that the liberty of the Church consisted in the honor of God as hee sayd would neuertheles in any case subscribe therunto and beeing not able to preuayle against vs in these formall wordes they made rather choyse that the Archbishop as before is sayd should safely returne to his Church and with good peace and security receaue the same in as ample manner as hee inioyd it before his departure without mention of any condition either on the one syde or the other and his followers in like sorte restored to their owne and at their instance wee condescended therunto Lastly beeing called by the king to Roane wee came thither with a laboursome iourney and to conclude hee signifyed to vs by his Agents in the Courte of the Archbishoppe that hee would neuer bee disswaded from those wordes Sauing the dignity of his kingdome soe as neither the first nor second nor yet the third forme of wordes deuysed by the foresayde persons could on all partes bee approued and in this sorte most blessed father wee departed wherupon wee commanded the Archbishoppes by their obligation of fidelity wherin they stood bound vnto vs to denounce to them whom wee had absolued vpon assurance of the oath which they swore to vs and to declare to their Lord the king that if peace ensued not before our departure they should loose the benefitt of their absolution and bee inuiolably subiect to the sentence pronounced against them by the Archbishop of Canterbury And thus far concerning our proceedinges with the king in these matters Wee signifyed afterwardes the kinges formall wordes to the Archbishop of Canterbury who enduring all with patience was willing also to preserue the dignity of the kingdome so far as it might stand with the conseruation of his order and his fidelity to the Church of Rome and if any one shall certify you to the contrary concerning this busines bee your Holynes perswaded neuertheles that it is no otherwise then wee haue reported neither yet in regarde my Lord Gratians name is not subscribed to these letters doth it therfore followe that hee sawe them not nor carefully perused them but that happened in respect hee hastened to returne and required these letters might bee more breifely contryued All which wee wryte that your Holines may giue no credit to the kinges Agents against vs before our returne And addeth lastly that in the end hee sent a Messinger to the king named Peter Archdeacon of Papia who beeing kindly entertayned by the king but nothing prevayling in his motion of peace was in his returne spoyled of all hee had and one of his campany beeing endangered for his life was hardly rescued The determined day appoynted by Pope Alexander for conclusion of the peace was the feast of saint Michael the Archangell which beeing once passed they who were absolued vpon this expectatiō of peace must now fall backe againe into their former sentence of excommunication inflicted on them by Canterbury Cod. Vat. lib. 3. Epist 36. concerning which the letters are yet extant which Gratian did wryte to the excommunicated