thus given it privileges, we will confirm yonr original grant, by a grant of privilèges from us corresponding to yours. And we will adopt that monastery to be a special daughter of the Roman Church, and we will make it subject immediately to our own see, without any bishop or archbishop interfering between us and it." So when he had received this answer, the king deliberated with himself as to what he could do in return, which should be worthy of such great liberality. At length, Divine grace inspiring the king, a wholesome idea occurred to him, and the next day he went into the school of the English, which was at that time flourishing at Rome, and gave to that school, for the support of those subjects of his kingdom who should come thither, a piece of silver money for each family, every day and every year for ever, provided their estate in land, besides their house, did not exceed the value of thirty pieces of silver ; and by this great liberality he obtained the privilege, that no one of the kingdom of England who was a public penitent, should be compelled to leave the kingdom for the performance of any penance that might be enjoined him. Having therefore executed this donation, and procured its ratification from the pope, and having received remission of his sins, and the benediction of the Supreme Pontiff, that great king returned to his own dominions. Then, having convened a council of his bishops and nobles at Verulamium, with their unanimous consent and good will, he conferred on the blessed Alban ample estates and innumerable possessions, which he invested with various liberties and privileges. And he collected a brotherhood of monks from thoroughly religious houses to his house, at the tomb of the martyr, and he set over them an abbot named Willegod, to whom he granted the monastery itself, and all the rights of a king. This great king, Offa, ruled over twenty-three provinces, which the English call shires, that is to say, over that of Hereford* whose bishop has his episcopal see in the city of the same name ; over those of Worcester and Gloucester, whose bishop has his see at Worcester ; over those of Warwick, Chester, Stafford, Shrewsbury, and Derby, the cathedral city of which shires is Lichfield ; over Leicestershire, whose bishop has his see in the city of the same name ; over Lmcomshire, the cathedral city of which is Lindesey ; over the shires of Northampton, Oxford, Buckingham, Huntingdon, Cambridge, and half of Hertford, the see of the bishop of which is at Don