mon priest, but the chief and father of all the priests in Knglaud; and fifthly, that he suffered, not in OIK; of his ordinary members, but on the place where he had received the tonsure of priesthood, and where the holy anointing oil had been shed. Of the king's repentance, ami how he sent messengers to Home to excuse the deed. King Henry was at Argentou in Normandy when he heard the news of this melancholy deed. At first he was plunged by it into the deepest distress, and changed his royal robes for sackcloth and ashes, calling Almighty God to witness that the deed was done without his wish or connivance, except so far as he was guilty in not having loved the archbishop as he ought. On this point lie submitted himself to the judgment of the church, and promised to acquiesce with humility in whatever should be her sentence. For this purpose he sent ambassadors to make his excuse before the supreme pontili', and to assert his innocence; but the pope would not receive them or admit them even to kiss his feet: they were however afterwards received by the cardinals, but with nothing more than words of form. On Thursday before Kaster, when the pope is in the habit of publicly absolving or excommunicating those who have deserved it, it was told the king of England's ambassadors that the pope had determined, with the advice of his whole council, to pass an interdict on their master by name, throughout all his dominions, and to confirm that which had been passed on the archbishop of York and the other Knglish bishops. In this strait the cardinals told the pope that the king's ambassadors had been 'instructed to swear that their master would abide by the decision of the pope and cardinals in every particular. According to which suggestion the ambassadors took an oath to that ctl'ect, and so averted the sentence; of interdict. The emissaries of the archbishop of York and of the other bishops followed their example The pope, then, on that dav, excommunicated the wicked murderers of St. Thomas archbishop of Canterbury and martyr, and all who hail given their advice, assistance, or consent to the deed, as well as all who should receive them into their territories or maintain them. The; four men Avere at this time in the king's castle el' Kliarcsborough, where they remained a year.