MATTHEW OF WE8TMENBTEB. A.l). 1244. everlasting one, in London, in his own noble palace, which he had built from its foundations, not far from the New Temple and the house of converts, on the first of February. About the same time, the cardinal Otho, who had formerly been legate in England, was made bishop of Portsmouth. Also, in those days, William, bishop of Winchester, being indignant at the annoyances which were offered him by the king from day to day, and which were constantly increasing, as he was abiding and lying hid, as it were, at Southwark, in the house of the canons there, on the twentieth of February, fled away in a clandestine manner, early in the morning, and embarked on board a ship in the port of London, to go into voluntary exile in France, where he might enjoy an asylum in secure peace ; and sailing down the Thames, he soon arrived in the open sea, and, before his flight had become known to the king, he had landed safe in the harbour of Saint Valori. From thence he proceeded to the town of Abbeville, and there he met a formal messenger of the most pious king of France, who, on the part of his lord the king, received the bishop with joy and a most cheerful countenance, promising him the king's protection in all matters, and comfort in every tribulation. And the messenger ordered, by the king's command, that the mayor of Abbeville should prepare the whole commune and the whole city to defend the bishop, if by chance any persons on the part of the king of England should pursue him with a view to injure him, so that, having recourse even to arms if there were need, they might fight vigorously for the bishop against all who should oppose them. And the bishop of Winchester going into banishment in this way, the fame of thé king of England was blackened in no moderate degree throughout all Cisalpine countries ; for the French, who were always rivals of the English, deriving matter from this event for uttering wicked reproaches, said: "Ah ! ah! see how the king of England, who is inactive and impotent against all the enemies of his kingdom, persecutes and proscribes all his holy bishops. At one time it was the blessed Thomas, and not long ago the glorious Edmund, both of whom were archbiehops of Canterbury, and at the present time he does not permit the bishop of Winchester, who has served him a long time with diligence and fidelity, to enter his church, or to rejoice in the peace of his kingdom, preferring to promote foreigners and strangers." And when this became known to Boniface, archbishop elect of