this course by some of the canons, and so the deadlock continued.

As the year 1243 progressed, the emperor Frederick became impatient at the dissensions of the cardinals, which had so far prevented the election of a successor to Gregory IX. To facilitate matters he released the cardinals, whom he had now for so long held captive; but even this measure did not seem to enable them to come to an agreement on a candidate. Frederick, becoming impatient, ordered his army to lay waste the possessions of the cardinals, attacked Rome, and allowed the Saracens to pillage Albano. At length, upon St. John the Baptist's day, 24th June, 1243, the choice of the electors fell upon Cardinal Sinebald, who was enthroned upon the feast of SS. Peter and Paul as Pope Innocent IV, after the pontifical throne had been vacant for a year and nine months.

In the time of this vacancy a serious difficulty arose between Bishop Grosseteste and the convent of Christ Church, Canterbury, on a matter of jurisdiction. The bishop had had a dispute with the abbey of Bardney, and, after excommunicating the abbot for refusing to appear before the court of his archdeacon, he sent visitors in his name to hold a visitation of the abbey. On the ground that these were seculars, and consequently could not be acquainted with the monastic life, the monks of Bardney refused to admit them. Bishop Grosseteste upon this placed the house under an interdict, and the abbot appealed from this sentence to the prior and convent of Canterbury, which was supposed to possess the power of the metropolitan when the See of Canterbury was vacant, as it then was, and consequently, amongst other powers, that of receiving appeals. Thereupon the bishop declared the abbot deposed from his office, and the convent of Canterbury responded by

solemnly excommunicating the bishop, and serving him with a notice to that effect. Grosseteste was astonished, and not a little angry, and he paid no attention to the sentence, continuing publicly to exercise his episcopal functions.1

3

Here the matter rested for a time, awaiting the election of the new pope, except for a strong protest made by the bishop to the king on the abbot of Bardney being allowed the use of the abbey revenues after he had declared him deposed. Grosseteste's agents were instructed to press the question on the consideration of the pontiff immediately he should be chosen. This they did so well, that within a month of Innocent IV's coronation, he issued his letters directing the prior of Canterbury to remove the sentence of excommunication from the bishop within eight days of the reception of the letters, but without prejudice to any rights they might claim. This was not sufficient for the bishop; he wrote immediately to Cardinal Otho, the former legate in England, to point out how the papal letters, although obliging the monks to remove the sentence uttered against him, were not unnaturally interpreted as a confirmation of their right to act as they had done and of their possession of metropolitical powers when the See of Canterbury was vacant. Against this position Grosseteste energetically protested. He declared that the bishops of the province had never admitted this power in fact, and as a proof against the right of the monks to possess such powers, he pointed to the fact that "when the Chair of Canterbury was vacant, elected suffragans had always been confirmed by the pope." To admit that these bishops ought to have received confirmation from the 2 Grosseteste, Ep. 308.

1 Matthew Paris, iv. 245-248.

3 Ibid., 258.

monks would be lowering the episcopal dignity, “which in so far was the same as that of the pope, "though the papacy has the position of highest dignity and plenitude of power, from which plenitude the other bishops receive whatever power they have."1

1 Grosseteste, Ep. 324-328.

CHAPTER XII

THE FIRST YEARS OF POPE INNOCENT IV

DURING the first few months of his occupying the Chair of St. Peter, Pope Innocent IV did much to clear off the heavy arrears of business which had accumulated during the long interregnum. From some of the early letters of this pontiff, it is clear that, in this country, advantage had been taken of the vacancy to withdraw the payments of the fruits of benefices held by Roman ecclesiastics in England. This is quite what was to be expected; and the pope, in endeavouring to set this matter right and insure punctual payment for the future, speaks in these documents of the contempt with which the agents of the foreign beneficed clergy had been treated in their endeavour to obtain the revenues for the alien ecclesiastics. At the same time, within a few weeks of his election to the papacy, Innocent IV severely condemns the action of papal collectors in demanding fees and excessive presents for themselves. Although legates who are sent from the Holy See ought to be treated honourably, he says, as messengers of the pope, still he does not approve "of the minor officials, and in particular, mere humble messengers," not being content with receiving their necessary expenses, and so bearing themselves rather as thieves and extortioners than as "papal nuncios.”1

In the midst of more important business in the govern1 Les Registres d'Innocent IV, i. No. 43.

ment of the Church, the new pope found time to consider such small matters as the approval of the impropriation of churches to Rievaulx; the bestowal of privileges on St. Augustine's, Canterbury, and on the monks of Winchester, allowing the communities henceforth to say their office with heads covered, except during the reading of the Gospel and the elevation of the most Holy Sacrament, although immemorial custom had been that during Divine Service all heads were uncovered; and the conceding of other similar personal but otherwise unimportant benefits. The first matters of moment to which his attention was turned was the settlement of the two vacant Sees of Canterbury and Winchester. In his letter confirming the election made by the monks to the former See, the pope relates that the proctors of election were amongst those who had been captured by the emperor Frederick in the Genoese ships. which were carrying the three cardinals to Rome. They were three of the community, one of whom was the subprior. Of these three, one died of the hardships consequent upon the capture and captivity, one returned to England, and the sub-prior alone proceeded to Rome, where he waited with steadfast determination until the election of a successor to Gregory IX. Having considered the facts of the election, Pope Innocent confirms Boniface of Savoy as archbishop of Canterbury, and gives him "full power of administration of the See in both spirituals and temporals."1

The same day, 17th September, 1243, the translation of the bishop of Norwich, William de Raleigh, to Winchester, was decreed by the pope, and the usual letters were addressed to the king, to the monks, and to the clergy and people of the diocese announcing the papal decision. This unfortunately did not settle the long-continued dis1 Gervase of Canterbury, ii. 200.

P