A.i). 1213.] Ι'ΚΕΙ'ΛΚΛ'ΠΟΝβ ΓΟΙί W.UÎ. The return of (he nrehhishnp of Canterbury and of t/te said bishops, Jrcr.t the apostolic sec, an't the death of tieoffrey archbishop of York. A.i. 1213. King John held his court at Christinas a* Westminster with only a very small company of knights in his train ; and about that time died Geoffrey archbishop of York, who had been an exile for seven years owing to his defence of the rights of the church and his maintenance of justice. In the month of January, in this same year, Stephen archbishop of Canterbury, and William and Eustace the bishops of London and Ely, returned from the court of Home, and held a council on the continent, at which they with due solemnity made known the decree which had been sent forth against the English king for his contumacy, to the king of the French, to the French bishops and clergy, and to people in general; afterwards, in the name of our lord the pope, they enjoined on the king of the French as well as all others, that, as a remission of their sins, they should all unitedly invade England, depose John from the throne of that kingdom, and appoint another, under the apostolic authority, who should be worthy to fill it. The king of the French, seeing what he had long desired come to pass, made his preparations for war, and ordered all his subjects alike, dukes, counts, barons, knights, and attendants, equipped with horses and arms, to assemble, in force at Rouen in the octaves of Easter, under penalty of being branded with cowardice, and of incurring the charge of treason. He likewise ordered all his own ships, and as many others as he could collect, to be well supplied with corn, wine, meat, and other stores, that there might be abundance of all necessaries for so large an army. King John's preparations to resist his coming enemies. King John, learning, by means of his spies, what was going forward in the transmarine provinces, prepared to make the best defence he could against the plans prepared against him ; he therefore ordered a list to be made of all the ships in each of the ports of England, by a warrant which he sent to each of the bailiffs of the ports to the following etfeet : "•John, king of' England, Sir.— We command yon that, immediately on receipt of these our letters, yen go in person, together with the bailiffs of the ports to each of tic harbours