238 KOGEIt OF WENOOVER. [A.D .1207 Of the promotion and consecration of master Stephen Langton. The aforesaid elections being thus annulled, our lord the pope, being unwilling to permit the Lord's flock to be any longer without the care of a pastor, persuaded the monks of Canterbury, who had appeared before him as pleaders in the matter of the church of Canterbury, to elect master Stephen Langton, a cardinal priest, a man, as we have said, skilled in literary science, and discreet and accomplished in his manners ; and he asserted that the promotion of that person would be of very great advantage, as well to the king himself, as to the whole English church. The monks, however, in answer to this, declared that they were not allowed, except by the king's consent and the choice of the canons, to consent to any person's election, or to make any election without them ; but the pope, as if taking the words out of their mouths, said, " You may think that you have plenary powers in the church of Canterbury, but it is not the custom that the consent of princes is to be waited for concerning elections made at the apostolic see ; therefore, by virtue of your obedience, and under penalty of our anathema, we command you, who are so many and such, that you fully suffice for making the election, to elect as archbishop the man whom we give you as a father and as pastor of your souls." The monks, dreading the sentence of excommunication, although reluctantly and with murmuring, gave their consent; the only one out of all of them who would not consent being master Elias de Brantfleld, who had come on the part of the king and the bishop of Norwich, the rest of them chanted the " Te Deum," and carried the said archbishopelect to the altar. lie afterwards received consecration from the pope aforesaid at the city of Viterbo, on the 17th of June.* * M . Paris adds :— " About this time pope Innocent, desiring to pain John over to favour his plans, and knowing that lie was covetous and a diligent seeker nftcr costly jewels, sent the following letter to him with such presents as may lie seen in the same. ' l'ope Innocent the Third, to John kim; of the English, greeting, Sic.— Amongst the riche» of the earth, which ttic eye of man desires and longs for as more precious than others, we believe that pure gold and precious stones hold the first place. Although perhaps your royal highness may a'xjund in these and other riches, however, as a sign of regard and favour, we send to your highness four gold rings with divers jewels. W e wish you particularly to remark in these, the