Λ.D. 1221.] CHARGES AOAIXST TUE lìISIIOIOI DIUIIAM. 4 -*ϊ1 tlio. pontifical dignity, he lias lieen guilty of bloodshed, simony, adultery, sacrilegi", robbery, perjury, and manifold offences, of audaciously oppressing clerks, orphans, and religious men, of obstructing the testaments of dying people, of defending the rights of the king in opposition to the learning of our beloved son, Pandulph, bishop elect of Norwich, and, although under the ban of excommunication, of interfering in the performance of divine services. Also, according to the appeals laid before us he docs not pay deference to the church of Home, he docs not observe tinstatutes of the general council, he never preaches the word of God to bis people, and in bis discourse and bv the practice of his life, he sets a bad example to those under him. In the presence of a great mail}' people he has sworn that the church of Durham shall have no peace during his life. When a certain monk of Durham complained to him that he had been dragged from a church by his the bishop's servants, and beaten till bis blood was shed, he replied that it would have been better if his servants had killed the monk. He bus, moreover, in all respects entirely trodden under foot the apostolic rule, which sets forth what sort of a person a bishop ought to be. That we may not therefore increase the fault of another, which we should do if we were to pass over the great and numerous offences of the said bishop, since such an outcry has reached us in this matter, that we can no longer dissemble matte-s, we have thought proper to descend from the dignity of our office to see whether these complaints are true or not. Wherefore, we, by these apostolic letters, command the brotherhood of you to make inquiries on these mutters, and when you have found out the exact truth, to send the result of your inquiries enclosed under your own seal to us, that, by God's assistance, we may determine what ought to be done in the matter. Given at Viterbo, in the fourth year of our pontificate." How the bishop of Durham went to /itone to answer the monks. When the letters of our lord the pope came to the hands of bis agents, they, in compliance with the duty enjoined on them, summoned the bishop of Durham, together with the abbats, priors, archdeacons, and deans to their consistory