A.D. 1259. JTJ8T ADMOTCSTItATTOff OF THE LAWS. the canons of Saint Paul's, in London, being assembled together to elect a worthy pastor, at last, by the overruling Providence of the Lord, the lord Henry de Wengham, the chancellor of the lord the king, was, by the unanimous consent of them all, elected bishop of London, a thorough courtier, but, what is better still, a man of morality and discretion, prudence and circumspection. And he being exhorted to do so by his friends, and prompted by the choice of the canons, cheerfully received his election for the common advantage of the church. For although he had been previously elected to the bishopric of Winchester, yet because another, who had been elected before him, namely, the brother of the king, having been banished from the county by judicial sentence, was at the court of Rome trying to get his election confirmed, he, like a wise man, abandoned that appointment which depended on the pope's will, for that one which offered tranquillity and peace. About the same time, the lord Hugh Bigod, a man of the greatest fidelity, and chief justiciary of the whole of England, having as his associates Roger de Turkebi, and Gilbert de Preston, began to make the circuit of England, going from county to county, and from liberty to liberty, to do justice to all men according to their deserts. For these men, being skilful in the laws of England, and of the strictest justice in giving judgments, were considered by the whole kingdom fit, above all other men, for this purpose. And they, having been previously elected, as has been said before, were appointed and sworn in to exercise proper justice with calmness, with equal consideration for rich and poor, slave and freeman, foreigner and friend, in all and everything, without regard to presents of any kind, but with a proper allowance of mercy. For if judgment went forward without any considerations of mercy, then the example of the most just judge would by no means be followed. But that men might imitate the example of Christ, who had gone before them as their guide, they both mingled mercy with justice, and also exercised justice in public. Since manfully and energetically following up the investigations lately made by four knights in each county, specially deputed for this -purpose, they brought up again many transgressions and injuries of times gone by, which had up to this time lain unpunished and unnoticed, and, as it were, forgotten, avenging them strictly, and disdaining everything which could