Α .ϋ. 1207.] LETTER OF TUE ΙΌΓΕ. those who ought to have asked your consent to it; and they declared that the letters in which we ordered you to send fitting agents to us on this matter had not reached you, and that the monks of Canterbury, although they had appeared before you on other business, bad not sent letters or messengers to ask your consent to this. Wherefore, the same messengers asked with much earnestness, that, as far as it pleased us we would reserve to you the honour that the monks of Canterbury should ask the consent of their king, since it bad not been done, and that we would grant a lilting delay for it to be done, that nothing derogatory to your rights might happen: putting forth something at last against the person of the archbishop elect, which, being doni; openly, ought to have, restrained their tongues ; especially as, even if true, it could no longer impede his election. Although it is not the custom, when elections are made at the apostolic see, to wait for the consent of any prince. However, two monks were sent to you for the special purpose of asking your consent, but they were detained at Dover, so that they were not able to fulfil their instructions; and the before-mentioned letters about the agents were in our presence delivered to your messengers that they might faithfully deliver them to you. We, too, who hold full authority over this same church of Canterbury, have condescended to ask a favour of a king ; and our courier, who delivered the apostolic letters to you, also delivered the letters of the prior and monks, who, by command of the whole chapter of the. church of Canterbury, had made the aforesaid election, which were written to ask your consent, and therefore we did not deem it our business again, after all these circumstances, to ask the royal consent ; but we endeavoured, without inclining to the right or to the left, to do that which the canonical ordinances of the holy fathers order to be done, so that there may be. no delay or difficulty in making proper arrangements that the Lord's flock may not be longer without the care of a pastor. Wherefore, let no one suggest It to your royal discretion or prudence, that we can in any way be diverted from the consummation of this business; since, when a canonical election is made according to rule without fraud or cunning of a fitting person, we could not, without loss of our good name or danger to our conscience, delay the completion of it. Therefore, well beloved son, to whose dignity it 2