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the Channel. The barons were unwilling to allow all the prelates to depart from the country, and two only of their number, the bishops of Winchester and London, were deputed to cross over to Boulogne and represent them. The cardinal was very displeased at the non-arrival of the bishops, and uttered many threats against them. The two who had come got no satisfaction from their interview, and in a short time returned to Dover, bringing with them a sentence of interdict against the country. This document being found in the baggage of the bishop of London by the governor of Dover, it was promptly torn up and thrown into the sea.' In their interview with the legate, the two bishops had protested against the interdict, and against the sentence of excommunication which the cardinal proposed to proclaim against the citizens of London and of the Cinque ports, as well as against the earl of Leicester and his followers generally. Shortly after the return of the two bishops from their interview with the legate at Boulogne, the prelates were summoned to meet in London. At this assembly they drew up a protest against the action of the legate, and an appeal against his sentence of excommunication and interdict. They were ready, they declared, to justify before any tribunal their conduct in acting towards the king as they had done, inasmuch as during the disturbances their ecclesiastical rights had been set aside and their privileges disregarded. At a public assembly, allincluding the king and the barons-had pledged themselves to support the rights of the Church, and had agreed to safeguard this by sentence of excommunication. They protested that they had nothing to accuse themselves of, Gervase of Cant., ii. 239.

2 Fiores Hist., ii. 501. The chronicle of Thomas Wykes (Ann. Mon., iv. 156), seems to place the interview between the legate and the two bishops in September, but it seems more probable that it was in June.

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and they now appealed from the legate to the Holy See and to a general Council. This appeal was sanctioned by the synod of clergy on 19th October;' but Guy Foulquois, the cardinal-legate, had already given up any idea of being able to set foot in England, and had by this time turned back on his journey Romeward.' On 2nd October-even before the synod of the clergy in London-Urban IV died, and on 5th February, 1265, after a delay of some months, Guy, the cardinal of Sabina and late legate to England was chosen as his successor. Gervase of Canterbury, in chronicling this fact, adds that the new pope never forgot the fact of his being refused an entry into England, and as pope never showed himself too favourable to the English bishops and nobles. On the other hand, at the request of the king's agent, William Bouquer, he, on his accession, at once granted Henry, for three years, a tenth of all ecclesiastical possessions in his kingdom, to help him in the expenses incurred during the civil war.'

On 18th October, 1264, after setting out on his journey, and, although unknown to him, after the death of Pope Urban, the cardinal-legate issued a letter describing the situation in which he found himself. It was addressed, indeed, to the archbishop and suffragans of Rheims, but it was intended evidently for the information of all whom it might concern. He had been prevented from exercising his legation, he says, by the action of the earl of Leicester and others. Under these circumstances, in virtue of the special powers he had received, allowing him to exercise. his legatine faculties across the seas, on 8th August, in the ehurch of our Lady in Boulogne, he publicly admonished the earl and other nobles, to allow him to cross over into 2 Th. Wykes, Ann. Mon., iv. 157.

1 Ann. Mon., iii. 234.

3 Gervase of Cant., ii. 242; cf. Flores Hist., ii. 502.

England before 1st September following, under pain of excommunication, to take effect on them and all who should aid them. He further declared, at the same time, that the city of London and the Cinque Ports were placed under an interdict; all of which sentences, as they did not obey at the time specified, had now (18th October), fallen upon those against whom they had been pronounced. Further, on the same day and in the same place, by special command of the pope, he had, he says, warned all the English nobles to return to their full allegiance to their sovereign, ordering them to give full and free liberty to the king, his brother, the king of Germany, and their heirs, whom they held captives. Lastly, also by special command of the pope, those who had bound themselves together by any oath against the king were warned that their oaths were null and void, and that they must seek dispensations from the legate. As all had neglected these warnings, before finally departing from the parts near the sea coast, the legate solemnly pronounced a sentence of excommunication by name against Simon de Montfort and the earls of Gloucester and Norfolk, against their adherents generally, and against the Londoners and the people of the Cinque Ports specially. Further, the whole country was declared to be under an ecclesiastical interdict, the king's chapels alone being excepted from the general sentence, and even in them services had to be celebrated in low tones and with closed doors.1

It is now impossible to say what effect the denunciations of the legate had upon the earl of Leicester's party, or upon the Church. Possibly these grevious sentences of excommunication and interdict remained unknown until later, as there is no apparent evidence of the existence of 1 Rymer, i. 448-449.

any ecclesiastical interdict at this time in the life of the country. The document in which they are contained is, however, evidence of the outraged feelings and bitter disappointment of the legate, Guy Foulquois, on the failure of his mission of pacification, and this on the very eve of his election to succeed Urban IV on the pontifical throne. By the beginning of May, 1265, hardly more than a couple of months after his accession as Clement IV, the new pope had determined to send Cardinal Adrian Ottoboni as legate to England with ample powers, to be exercised also, if he saw fit, in Ireland and Scotland.' On the same day as this commission was registered, 4th May, a whole series of documents attest the determination of Clement IV to provide against every emergency that might arise in the course of the difficult business committed to the cardinal. The bishops of England are warned to receive him and help him, and he is given plenary powers to relax all suspensions and interdicts, as well as to proceed against all who are still in a state of rebellion against their sovereign; he is empowered to deal summarily with any Germans who may be found aiding the rebels, and should the attitude of hostility against the king on the part of the archbishop and bishops seem to require it, he may order a crusade to be preached against them in Europe.2

On the following day, 5th May, further powers were bestowed on the cardinal to the same end. He may absolve the king from all oaths taken under stress of circumstances, and may do the same for ecclesiastics. He is to compel all, whether clergy or lay people, under the most severe penalties, to give back to the king any lands or buildings they may be holding under the authority of the rebels. He may cite any person under severe pains and penalties 2 Ibid., Nos. 41-43, 56, 57, 66-68. DD

1 Reg. Clement IV, i. No. 40.

to come to him at any time, even when he is over the sea; and he may cross to England and recross, without loss of his legatine faculties. If any ecclesiastic is disobedient to him, he is to cite him to answer for his contempt before the pope. In regard to secular clerks who are found recalcitrant, without further delay he may declare them deprived of all their ecclesiastical privileges. In regard to regulars, the special legatine powers were no less ample; and he is ordered to place censures on all who do not show proper respect to his person or his suite. A special brief declares that all his powers are to be considered as of the most ample kind possible; whilst, if he cannot enter England, all these powers may be exercised out of the country. He is empowered to grant an Indulgence of a hundred days to all who will join in preaching a crusade, or will fight against the rebels; and to all pious ladies who may assist him, the cardinal may give the privilege of entering the inclosure of any monastery once a year.'

During the course of the month the legatine faculties were still more amplified; and Cardinal Ottoboni was given permission to reward his suite with English canonries and prebends, and with benefices without the cure of souls, in the case of such as were not in Holy Orders. To meet expenses, he is empowered to levy a tax of a tenth on all English ecclesiastical property; and to consolidate the work of pacification, he is to compel the nobles and prelates to renew their oath of fealty to their sovereign.'

Whilst Ottoboni was preparing for his departure, events were following each other with considerable rapidity in England. In the month of July the letters of the pope show that the cardinal still lingered on in Rome, and up

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