A.D.1166. AECHBISHOp's LETTEE TO THE BISHOP OF HEBEFOBD. 291 my lord the king. And no wonder. For he has vexed the Church of God, and has put her to confusion, and has made hard-ships the lot of his clergy, giving them the wine of sorrow to drink. Therefore, thus saith the Lord to him, ' "Where now, simple man, are the wise counsellors who used to say to thee, ' Thou art the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings, whose customs must be observed throughout England ; which if a person shall not observe, he is not a friend to Cœsar, but an enemy to the crown, a criminal at the judgment-scat.' But, assuredly, that person is rather the friend of the cross of Christ ; for, ' Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed, to turn aside the needy from judgment, and take away the right of the poor of my people,'58* that churches and widows may be their prey, and that they may plunder the possessions of certain of the clergy. What shall these persons do on the day of visi-tation and of calamity that approacheth from afar ? To whose aid will they fly for refuge, and lay aside their vainglori-ousness, that they may not be bowed down under judgment, and fall with the slain ? Where, now, are his wise men ? Let them come forth, and let them disclose to him and say what the Lord of Hosts has determined as to England. His wise men are become fools, and his nobles have come to nought ; they have deceived England, and into the midst of the people of England its lord has introduced a feeling of stupefaction. By their deeds they have made England to go astray, even as a drunken man goes astray, vomiting and staggering ; and for England help there will be none. Who ! shall know the beginning or end59 hereof? For they have ι devoured Jacob, and have laid waste his dwelling-place,60 and • have said, ' Let us take possession of the holy place of God,' It an# have reviled the priests and their chief men, saying, ' Whither will ye fly for refuge from our hands, or in whom do ye put your trust ? WTiy have ye fled, and proved dis • obedient to our commands ?' Oh, how empty are these thoughts ! •how shameful these deeds in the sight of the Lord, who beholds how vain they are ! For He will laugh to scorn him who 1 , M* Is. χ. 1, 2. 89 In the text, " Quis faciet caput aut canditili," literally, ·' Who shall •make head or tail ?" This portion of the letter is in a most corrupt state. 60 Psalm lxxix. 10. ν 2