274 KOGEIÎ 01 WENDOVJER, [A.D . 12U. lGth of July, they .set out to .see the kinjr, and came to hiin at Winchester on St. Margaret the virgin's day. The king, when he heard of their approach, went out to meet them, and when he saw the archbishop and bishops, be prostrated himself at their feet, and besought them in tears to have compassion on him and the kingdom of England. 'J'he said archbishop and bishops, seeing the king's great humility, raised him from the ground, and taking him by the hand on each side, they led him to the door of the cathedral church, wdicre they chanted the lifticth psalm, and, in the presence of all the nobles, who wept with joy, they absolved him according to the custom of the church. At this absolution, the king swore on tin; hoi}' gospels that he would love holy church and its ordained members, and would, to the utmost of his power, defend and maintain them against all their enemies; and that he would renew all the good laws of bis ancestors, especially those of king Edward, would annul bad ones, would judge his subjects according to the just de crees of his courts, and would restore his rights to each and all. lie also swore that, before the next Easter, he would make restitution of confiscated property to all who were concerned in the matter of the interdict; and if he dui not do so, he would consent to have the former sentence of excommunication renewed. Ile moreover swore fealty anil obedience to pope Innocent and his catholic successors, as was contained in the above-written charter: the archbishop then took the king into the church, and there performed mass, after which the archbishop, bishops, and nobles, feasted at the same table with the king, amidst joy and festivity. The next day the king sent letters to all the sheriffs of the kingdom, ordering them to send four liege men from each town in tlieir demesne, together with the warden, to St. Alban's on the 4th of Augu-t, that through them and his other agents he might make inquiries about the losses and confiscated property of each of the bishops, and how much WH S due to each, lie then set out in all haste to Portsmouth, that he might thence cross to I'oictou, and gave charge of the kingdom to Geoffrey Eit/.-I'eter and the bishop of Winchester, with orders that they were to consult with the archbishop of Canterbury in arranging the business of the kingdom. On the king's arrival at Portsmouth, there came