Clothed in his pontifical robes, Gregory X. entered the church at Orvietto, and proceeding to the high altar, took the bible in his hand, and, after setting before the awe-struck assembly the guilt of the culprit, proceeded thus to fulminate his anathema against the assassin. " For the murder of Henry of Germany, slain before the shrine of St. Mary, in the face of day, we lay upon Guy de Montfoit the curse of our Holy Church. In virtue of the authority bestowed upon us as the successor of St. Pe-ter, we do pronounce him excommunicate, and alien to all the privileges and consolations which our blessed religion affords. We permit every one to seize him—we order the governors of provinces to arrest him—we place under in-terdict all who shall render him an asylum—we prohibit all Christians from lending him aid, and_ we dispense his vassals from all oaths of fidelity they have made to him ; may none of the blessings of this holy book descend upon him, and may all the curses contained therein, cleave unto him ;" and he dashed the bible to the ground. Lifting the waxen taper, he continued, " Let the light of life be withdrawn from him, and let his soul sink in eternal night." With the word he threw the candle upon the pavement, and instantly every light in the church was ex-tinguished, and amid the gloom, the trembling congrega-tion heard the voice of the pontiff, ringing out full and clear, " I curse him by book, by candle, and by bell." A solernn toll proclaimed the malediction, and amid the darkness and the silence, the multitude crept one by one from the church, as though fearful of being implicated in the terrible de-nunciation. Edward, having thus placed his cousin under the ban of the church, disdained to persecute him with farther ven-geance, and taking an amicable leave of the pontiff con-tinued his route to France. Learning that England was quiet under the regency of the queen-mother, he improved the opportunity to make the tour of his southern dominions, and, in gallant sports and knightly adventures passed seve-ral months upon the continent. 398 HEROINES OF THE CRUSADES.