with more vigour and power attend to the papal and to hie own secular business, postponed his consecration for a long time, and showed no anxiety to exercise his episcopal duties. And in like manner his brother Boniface, archbishop of Canterbury, forgetful of his own church, and not regarding the example of piety displayed by his predecessors in the church of Canterbury, abandoned his pastoral duties as a sailor might abandon a ship, and absented himself for a long time, while he abode in the district of Lyons, which is a long way from Canterbury. Owing to which, the English church, which had hoped to obtain a respite through his appointment, now found itself exposed to confusion and desolation, instead of comfort. And when the feast of the Nativity of the blessed John the Baptist arrived, an innumerable multitude of prelates assembled at Lyons, to hold a general council. But the emperor Frederic prevented a great number from attending* knowing beforehand that the pope had convoked them for the purpose of effecting his injury and disgrace. And no one was either able or desirous to come from Hungary, or from the Holy Land, on account of the devastations of the Tartars and Corosmines, and the distance of those countries. Many prelates in England, too, remained peaceably in their provinces, because of their old age, or their infirm health, or in deference to the king's entreaties, excusing themselves on reasonable grounds by their appointed procurators. And the emperor knowing beforehand that important charges would be brought up (and not undeservedly) against him, and the anger of the pope, which was of long standing, was now turned into actual hatred, sent prudent men, formally appointed, as his procurators and prolocutors, to the council, namely, Thaddeus de Suessa, Peter de Vinea, and Master Walter de Ocra, eloquent and persuasive men of the secular clergy, and with them he sent some high-born and eloquent knights. And when the holy and universal synod was assembled in the church of Saint Just at Lyons, the lord the pope brought forward before them all some heavy charges against Frederic, so that all men clearly saw it was chiefly on this account that the council had been convoked. Among aU which heavy charges, the heaviest that was brought against the emperor Frederic was, that he had cruelly attacked, drowned, and taken some of the prelates while on the sea, and thrown them into prison. And the