556 ROGER OF AVENDO VER. [A.D. 1168. France the same day, lost more than a thousand men on his march. Not long after, in the county of Perche, many French knights were taken prisoners by the Normans. King Henry's letter to Reginald archbishop of Cologne. A.D. 1168. King Henry, incensed against pope Alexander for having granted the primacy of England to the archbishop of Canterbury, sent the following letter to Reginald the schismatic archbishop of Cologne, an enemy to Alexander : — " I have long wished to have a just cause for withdrawing myself from pope Alexander and his perfidious cardinals, because they presume to maintain against me my rebellious subject, Thomas archbishop of Canterbury. Wherefore, with the consent of my barons and clergy, I am about to send as ambassadors to Rome the following eminent men of my kingdom—the archbishop of York, the bishop of London, the archdeacon of Poictiers, Richard de Lucy, and John of Oxford ; to declare plainly and publicly to pope Alexander and his cardinals, on the part of myself and all my subjects throughout my dominions, that they must no longer main tain the cause of that traitor, but release me from him, so that I may, with the consent of my clergy, appoint another archbishop to the see of Canterbury, and that they must annul immediately all the acts of the said Thomas. They will also demand that the pope shall swear publicly, for himself and his successors, to observe all the royal customs of my grandfather king Henry, entire and inviolate, for ever. But, if they shall refuse their consent to any of my requests, neither I, nor my barons, or clergy, will obey them any longer ; but will openly take part against the pope himself and his cardinals, and expel from the kingdom any one, who from that time shall espouse his cause. W e therefore request of you, as our dear friend, to send to us immediately, without delay, brother Arnold the hospitaller, on the part of the emperor and yourself, to escort my ambassadors through the emperor's dominions.—Farewell!" It was reported by the clerks and notaries of the king, that Gilbert bishop of London dictated this letter at the king's request, to ruin the cause of the pope, the archbishop of Canterbury, and the whole English church : wherefore, also, it happened one night that whilst Gilbert was lying awake in bed, and