the Third. For she had made a solemn TOW , before archbishop Edmund, of continuing in chastity all her life. About the same time, while the lord the emperor was contriving the blockade around Milan, nearly all the princes of the world taking example from the king of England, sent him military aid, but as he could not succeed, he transferred the siege to Brixen, the citizens of which town were unwearied in the assistance they gave the Milanese. The same year, Edmund, archbishop of Canterbury, returned from the court of Rome, and at the same time the prior and convent of Canterbury were in a state of great confusion, on which account the prior being, as it were, deposed by the legate, entered the Carthusian order with some of his brethren. Then another prior having been elected in an irregular manner, the prior elect, and the electors, and the whole convent were placed under an interdict, and excommunicated by the archbishop. This year also, Peter, bishop of Winchester, died ; and when the king heard of that event, he used all the exertion in his power to incline the hearts of the monks of Winchester to the election of William, the elect of Valence, so as to promote him to that bishopric. But the monks seeing that he was a foreigner, and an object of suspicion to the nobles of the kingdom, and that it would be in his power easily to do injury to the kingdom, as the brother of this same elect was count of Flanders, and, if by any chance the two should contrive to the overthrow of the kingdom, one would assist the other,—altogether refused to consent,—on which account the king incessantly endeavoured to inflict annoyance and injury of every sort on them, but they preferred suffering persecution for justice' sake, rather than elect as pastor of their souls a man who was acceptable to the king alone, quite unequal to the pastoral duties, unfit in character, habits, and learning, a foreigner by birth, and infamous for the blood that he had shed against the purity of their consciences. Therefore, the monks dissembling, during a truce which they had obtained from the king, elected William de Bolle, a discreet man, and one very intimate with the king, whom they thought that the king would be not at all desirous to reject. But when this came to the knowledge of the king, he was very angry, and would neither receive the election nor the bishop elect, nay, he even discarded this same William, bishop elect, from his council and intimacy. And with similar violence he de