A.D. 1207.] ELECTIONS ANNULLED. appeared before our lord the pope, to plead a disgraceful dispute which had arisen between themselves; for a certain part of theln, by authenticated letters of the convent, presented Reginald, sub-prior of Canterbury, as they had often done, to be archbishop-elect, and earnestly required the confirmation of his election ; the other portion of the same monks had, by letters alike authentic, presented John bishop of Norwich, showing by many arguments that the election of the sub-prior was null, not only because it bad been made by night, and without the usual ceremonies, and without the consent of the king, but also because it had not been made by the older and wiser part of the convent; and thus setting forth these reasons, they asked that that election should be confirmed, which was made before fitting witnesses in open day and by consent, and in presence of the king. When this side of the question had been heard and plainly understood, the pleader on the part of the sub-prior set forth that the second election was null and void, inasmuch as, whatever might have been the nature of the first election, whether just or unjust, that said first election ought to have been annulled before the second was made ; wherefore he firmly demanded that the first election should be deemed valid. At length, after long arguments on both sides, our lord the pope, seeing that the parties could not agree in fixing on the same person, and that both elections had been made irregularly, and not according to the decrees of the holy canons, by the advice of his cardinals, annulled both elections, laying the apostolic interdict on the parties, and by definitive judgment ordering, that neither of them should again aspire to the honours of the archbishopric.* * M . Paris aiUls :— " In fine, this was the cause anil fertile source of error. The king hail given his word by the mouth of twelve monks of Canterbury that he would accept whomsoever they should elect. Now it had been agreed between the king and them, on oath, that they would elect no other person than John bishop of Norwich ; and to the same effect thev also had letters from the king. But the monks themselves, when they knew that the election of the aforesaid John was displeasing to the |*ope, were induced by the pope and cardinals to nffirni that they could elect anyone they pleased, and to elect secretly, provided that they made choice of an active man, and one who was a genuine Englishman, wherefore thev cnose, with the pope's advice, master Stephen Langton, cardinal, and equal, if not superior, to any En the court for probity and learning, l-'rom that time, therefore, the pope would not desert him in his manifold tribulations."