314 AXXALS OF EOGER DE UOTEDEX. A.D. 1168. mueh as by the mercy of God we are safe, under the protection of the Apostolie See, against the backslidings of the malignant and the subterfuges of appeals. These are the names of those excommunicated—Jocefyn, bishop of Salisbury, earl Hugh, Ranulph de Broc, Thomas Fitz-Bernard, Robert de Broc, elerk, Hugh de Saint Clair, Letardus de Norfleet, clerk, Nigel de Saccaville, and Richard, the brother of William de Hastings, who has taken possession of our church at New Coton. Farewell." The Letter of the blessed Thomas, the archbishop, to Robert, bishop of Hereford. " Thomas, by the grace of God, the humble servant of the church of Canterbury, to his venerable brother Robert, by the same grace, bishop of Hereford, health and constant perseverance in justice and in the defence of mother Church. For the glory of the Saints, and for the damnation of the wicked it is necessary that offences must come : in tribulations the elect are to be proved, who by patience gain for themselves a crown, and improve others by their example. But woe unto those by whom offences do come ! Whereas, the bishop of London has not abstained from giving offence, but among other works of his notable wickedness, since he has been delivered up unto Satan, has even gone so far as, with insolent audacity and parricidal impiety, to lift up his heel against his and your mother, the holy church of Canterbury, in presuming to say that he owes no submission and will pay no obedience to him by whom he was translated to his see ; and to the weight of his condemnation has added this, that he would be for causing the transfer of the archiépiscopal throne to the see of London—we do therefore entreat your brotherhood, in whom we have full confidence, with all possible affection to oppose the shield in defence of your mother, against this son of Belial, who in the front of other Gentiles, like another Goliah of Gath, has not been ashamed to eome forth alone, by the Lord's working, from the camp of the uncircumcised, and has not feared to challenge to the combat the whole community of the sons of the church of Canterbury, while he is thirsting for the blood of their mother, and is forsaking the unity of eatholio concord. For he has written to our lord the pope, on behalf of our brother the archbishop of York, beseeching him