CHAPTER XI

FROM THE DEPARTURE OF OTHO TO THE

ELECTION OF INNOCENT IV

EARLY in the year 1241, the difficulty between the monks of Durham and the king, as to a successor to Bishop Poore, was settled by the resignation of the prior,' who had been the first choice of the community, and the subsequent election of Nicholas de Farnham. The bishop-elect had had a distinguished career at the University of Paris, had graduated in medicine at Bologna, and, subsequently taking to the study of theology, had become a professor of that science in the latter university. By the advice of the legate King Henry had called him over to England to "look after the souls and bodies" of himself and his queen, as their confessor and physician.

It was with difficulty that Nicholas de Farnham could be induced to consent to take upon his shoulders the burden of the episcopate. Bishop Grosseteste, however, finally overcame his reluctance, by representing that, as the king would certainly accept this election, his consent would put an end to the troubles and difficulties which had long afflicted the monks and See of Durham. “If you do not accept," he said, "the king will get some foreign, ignorant and unworthy person appointed" to the See.' The bishop-elect consequently withdrew his objection and was consecrated on 9th June of this year 1241.

1 Brit. Mus. Add. MS., 15,354, f. 5,323.

2 Matthew Paris, iv. 87.

The death of St. Edmund abroad on 16th November, 1240, seemed to the king to present a favourable opportunity for the advancement of the queen's uncle, Boniface of Savoy, the bishop-elect of Belley. The Canterbury monks, who had proceeded to Rome to obtain canonical absolution from the censures placed on them by St. Edmund, returned to England in April, 1241, bringing with them letters addressed by the pope to the abbots of St. Alban's and Waltham, to declare the monastery of Christ Church free of all interdict, etc., ad cautelam, so that the monks might elect with safe consciences.' The king at once let them know pretty plainly his wish as to the result of their free choice; and the monks on their side, knowing that the pope and king would help each other, and that any other election would certainly be quashed, made a virtue of necessity and elected Boniface as archbishop. They knew nothing more about him than that he was the queen's uncle, and that, although bishopelect of Belley since 1232, he was still only in subdeacon's orders.

Henry, in order to prevent the pope's rejection of the elect as unworthy, not only wrote to Gregory IX urging his claims and testifying that he was worthy to receive confirmation, but also had a special letter of recommendation drawn up, and persuaded many bishops and prelates to affix their names and seals to it, and this he forwarded to his agents in Rome, instructing them to forward the cause of Boniface by every means in their power. Matthew Paris relates, however, that many of the monks had grave qualms of conscience as to their part in electing to so high an office one about whom so little was known except his royal connections. Some were so greatly disturbed in

1 Brit. Mus. Add. MS., 15,354, f. 343.

mind at what they had done that they betook themselves to the shelter of a Carthusian monastery, to expiate by a life of continual penance what they had come to look on as a crime.1 The pope's confirmation was long delayed, in spite of all the royal agents could do to expedite matters; and, before it could be obtained, Gregory IX died. It was not till after the accession of Pope Innocent IV, in 1243, that the elect was able to obtain recognition from the Holy See and be consecrated to the Chair of St. Augustine.

Meanwhile the election at Winchester still remained unsettled, owing to the action of the king in refusing to accept the choice made by the monks. It is difficult to understand on what grounds the royal objections were based, as the elect, William de Raleigh, had been faithful in the king's service, and had previously been chosen to present the king's protest to claims, advanced by the legate in behalf of the pope, at one of the councils held at St. Paul's; and, as the royal representative, had remained behind to watch the proceedings on Henry's behalf. Since he had been first chosen for Winchester and rejected by the king, de Raleigh had been chosen and consecrated bishop of Norwich. The monks, however, in spite of the royal determination not to accept him for Winchester, carried their case to the Holy See. Whilst the decision was pending, the king tried by every means in his power to bend the refractory electors to his will. Immediately upon this second choice becoming known, the king required de Raleigh to sign a paper refusing the nomination to Winchester. This the bishop absolutely refused to do, on the ground that to refuse translation "was altogether unreasonable, and contrary to his profession as a bishop. For, should the pope order him under holy obedience, he 1 Matthew Paris, iv. 105.

could not under any circumstances, if he were an obedient son, refuse." Seeing that he could not prevail with de Raleigh, Henry next tried the monks. He intruded a foreign prior, who first created divisions among them, and then pronounced them excommunicated for their attitude towards the king. The unfortunate religious, however, remained firm, although he went to the length of sending amongst them creatures of his own to tempt or brow-beat them into submission. Their steadfastness called forth the anger of those who could not succeed in the task set them by the king. "Monkish obstinacy, unworthy pride disguised in a cowl," are samples given by the chronicler of the expressions which were used by the royal agents. Finally recourse was had to force, and, respecting neither age nor position, the king's officials carried off many of the monks to prison.2

Before the final settlement was arrived at in the Curia, as in the case of Canterbury, Pope Gregory IX died. For two years more nothing was done; but when Innocent IV became pope he, without any delay, at once settled the matter in favour of the monks. On 17th September, 1243, the new pope addressed a letter to William de Raleigh, bishop of Norwich, translating him to the See of Winchester. This document furnishes some particulars of the state in which the action of the legate Otho, prior to his departure from England, had left the matter. It seems that on the ground that the monks, by not electing within the canonical time, had lost their right, which had consequently lapsed to the pope, Gregory IX had proposed to appoint to the vacant See. The pontiff was, however, induced by the legate Otho to permit another election to

1 Matthew Paris, iv. 159.

2 Ibid., 108.

be held under his presidency, giving Otho, moreover, special powers to confirm the elect in his place. On the day of the election, acting upon the advice of the legate, the monks chose six of their numbers and the archdeacon of Winchester to elect in their names and in their behalf. Upon a scrutiny it was found that four had voted for the bishop of Norwich, and that the minority of three had chosen the bishop-elect of Belley. Upon this the cardinallegate was unwilling to confirm the choice made by so narrow a majority, and recourse was again had to the Holy See. When the matter came before Pope Innocent IV, shortly after his election to the papacy, one of the two original candidates, Boniface of Belley, had, as already noted, been elected to Canterbury in succession to St. Edmund. The proctors of the monks consequently begged the pope to confirm the election of William de Raleigh; this he did in the letter which recites the above particulars.'

As the time approached for the assembling of the Council, to which the aged Pope Gregory had summoned the bishops and prelates, many of them were gathered together at Genoa for the last stage of their journey. The emperor Frederick endeavoured to persuade them to travel thence to Rome under his protection, hoping that he might in this way gain the ear of some of them and get them to voice his grievances against the pope at the meeting. They elected, however, to entrust their safety to some Genoese merchants, who undertook to convey them to their destination.

Amongst these prelates were three cardinals, Otho, who had been legate in England, the legate of France, and the then legate to Genoa; with them were a great number of archbishops, bishops, and others. The emperor con'Les Registres d'Innocent IV, ed. Elie Berger, tome 1er, No. 116.