360 ANNALS OP ROGER DE HOVEDEN. A.D. 1172. satisfaction for the same. In the first place, he made oath that he will not withdraw from our lord the pope, Alexander, and his Catholic successors, so long as they shall repute him to be a Catholic king and a Christian. The same he also made his eldest son swear in the charter of absolution for the death of the blessed Thomas. He also promised on oath other things very necessary for the clergy and for the people ; all of which we have carefully and in their order as he swore them set forth in the charter of his absolution. He also promised other things of his own free-will to be carried out, which are not necessary in their order to be committed to writing. We have written to you to this effect, that you may know that he is obedient to God, and much more disposed to be duteous to the Divine will than heretofore he has been. In addition to this, you must know that his son made oath to the same effect with himself in relation to the customs above-mentioned. Besides this, he publicly announced that he would repeat again, at Caen, aB that had passed there, in presence of a greater assemblage of persons, in order that there might be left to no one any room to doubt his sincerity. He has also released the bishops from the promise which they made to him as to observing the customs, and has promised that he wUl not exact this in future." On the following day, the above-named cardinals held a great synod there, together with the archbishop, bishops, and clergy of Normandy, and there they agreed to the decrees underwritten, and enjoined that they should be strictly and inviolably observed by all. The Decrees published at Avranches by the cardinals Albert and Theodinus. "Youths are, under no circumstance, to be admitted to the government of those churches, and the administration of those offices, in which there is the cure of souls. "Further, the sons of priests are not to be placed in the churches of their fathers. " Further, the laity are not to have a share of offerings made in the church. " Further, churches are not to be entrusted to the charge of vicars hired by the year. "Further, the priests of the larger churches, who have