332 HOOK» OF WE.VOOVER. [A.D. 1210. do thorn justice in presence of us, to whom the decision of this matter belonged by right of dominion, and this they altogether rejected. Then he proposed to them that four skilful men should be chosen as well by him as them, who might, in conjunction with us, put an end to the disagreement which had arisen between them, promising that, above all tilings, he would remove all the abuses which might have been introduced into Kngland in his time ; but they did not condescend to try this. At length the king explained to them that, since the dominion of the kingdom belonged to the church of Koine, he could not and ought not, without our special mandate, to make any alteration in it to our prejudice; and he then again appealed to our hearing, placing himself and his kingdom with all its dignities and rights under the protection of the apostolic see. But as he did not gain anything by any of these means, he asked the archbishop and bishops to fulfil our mandate, to defend the right of the church of Rome, and to protect lull) according to the terms of the privilege granted to those who assume the cross. Besides this, when they would not agree to any of these terms, he, seeing himself destitute of all aid and counsel, dared not refuse whatever they presumed to demand; there fore he was compelled by force anil through fear, which even the bravest of men is liable to, to enter into an agreement with them, which was not only vile, and base, but also unlawful and unjust, much to the disparagement and diminution alike of his rights and his honour. But as has been told us by the Lord through his prophet, Ί have appointed thee over people and kingdoms, to pluck up and destroy, to build and to plant,'and also by another prophet, 'Cast loose the bonds of wickedness, shake oil' the, oppressing burdens,' we do not choose to pass over such wicked audacity, tending to the contempt of the apostolic see, the detriment of kinglv right, the disgrace of the English nation, and danger to the cause of the cross, which would assuredly happen to it, unless by our authority every thing was revoked which had been thus extorted from such a prince who had also assumed the cross, even though he were willing to keep them. We therefore, on behalf of God the omnipotent lather, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, by the authority of bis apostles l'oter and Paul, and by our own, by the general advice of our brethren,