A.D. 1301. DEATH OP TWO BI8HOPS. France. " We have both powers." And he replied, on behalf of his master : " No doubt, lord ; but yours is only a verbal power, ours a real one." And then the anger of the lord the pope grew so violent, that he said that he would move heaven and earth against him. The lord Walter de Langton, bishop of Chester, and treasurer of England, having been vehemently accused before the lord the pope in respect of various atrocities and flagitious crimes, was cited before the Bupreme pontiff to answer in person to these charges. And having lavished no .small sum of money at the Roman court, as they knew that he was a much fatter ox than the generality, he yet derived no advantage from it ; for he was sent back to the archbishop of Canterbury, with the intent that he, in the absence of the pope, should, by certain persons commissioned for the purpose, enquire into the innocence of the accused person, and then write back word to the supreme pontiff by the same Walter, who should not know what was in the letter, a full account of all that had been done or performed in the matter. Not to dwell on the story : after an investigation into his innocence had taken place by certain laymen and clerks of good reputation, commissioned by the archbishop, and after he had cleared himself before them of'some of the accusations, and of the rest before some brethren of the religious orders of very high character, telling both parties all that they required to know-, he returned a second time to the pope j and the pope, understanding that a well-considered and regular acquittal of the bishop had been sent to him by the archbishop, restored bishop Walter to his previous estimation, and sent him back to his diocese with higher character and authority than ever. Moreover, John, the knight who had accused him, was not long afterwards himself accused of homicide and other crimes ; and he, knowing himself guilty, claimed the protection of the church : and though, indeed, he had a wife, he said that he was a deacon before he married her. At last, he was condemned, and committed to the bishop's prison, in which he survived five days and no longer. And from him let the wicked laity take warning what a thing it is to accuse ecclesiastics. This year, the bishops of Ely and Worcester died, and two monks were elected in their stead ; but as they could not obtain the favour of consecration from the archbishop of Canterbury, they went to the Apostolic See ; and when they arrived