A.D. 1169.] POPE ALEXANDER'S LETTER. 561 hoping that offences may arise and that the straight may he made crooked : for which cause, most holy father, we do not mourn our own misfortunes alone ; for unless you quickly meet the evil, we fear that the church of God may be disgracefully subverted, that we may become weary of our lives, and curse the day in which we were born." This same year, archbishop Thomas excommunicated Alan de Neville, for having kept in prison William his chaplain. Conan earl of Lesser Britain died, and left by his wife Constance, sister of the Scottish king, a daughter to inherit his dominions, whom Henry took for a wife to his son Geoffrey, and, by his exertions to promote peace everywhere in Brittany, he conciliated the minds of both the clergy and people of that province. Pope A lexander's letter to king Henry concerning a reconciliation with the blessed Thomas. A.D. 1169. Pope Alexander wrote to the king of England concerning the church of Canterbury as follows :— " With what paternal and kind feelings we have already often convened your excellency, and exhorted you both by letters and messengers to be reconciled to our venerable brother Thomas archbishop of Canterbury, and to restore both to him and his clerks their churches and other property, your highness's prudence cannot fail to know, since it is known publicly throughout almost every part of Christendom. Wherefore, seeing that we have hitherto made no progress in this cause, nor in soothing by gentle conduct the anger of your mind, we are sad and sorrowful thereat, and grieve to find that all our hopes are defeated ; particularly because we love you sincerely as our dearest son in the Lord, and we see a great danger threatening you. It is written, ' Cry aloud, and cease not ; lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and announce to my people their offences :' we have therefore determined no longer to bear your hard-heartedness as heretofore, to the detriment of justice and your own salvation ; nor will we any longer close the mouth of the archbishop in any way, or prevent him from doing his duty freely, and avenging with the sword of ecclesiastical severity the wrongs which have been done both to himself and the church committed to his charge." VOL. I. oo