many offenders were discovered, some of them principals, and others as abettors ; and some of these were the king's bishops and clerks, someot the archdeacons and deans, and numbers of knights and laymen. Some of the sheriffs also and their provosts were, bv the king's orders, taken and imprisoned for this offence, and others in their alarm consulted their safety by flight and could not be found. Hubert de liurgh the king's justiciary is said to have been the chief transgressor in this matter, because he had given those robbers warrants from the king and himself, to prevent any one from obstructing them in the said robbery. Amongst the rest there came to the king, Robert de Tuinge, a bold man, who had assumed the name of William Wither, and with others abetting him had sold the crops of the Roman clergy, and had engaged five armed attendants to assist him in his violence. This man openly declared that he had transgressed the law in hatred of the Romans, and lor a just retaliation ; for these said Romans, by a decree of the Roman pontiff, were fraudulently endeavouring to deprive him of the only church which he held : he also added, that he would rather be unjustly excommunicated for a time than be robbed of his benefice without a trial. The king and the agents aforesaid then advised the knight, as he had incurred the sentence pronounced, to hasten to Rome, and to urge his claim before his holiness the pope, and to prove to him that he held the church alike legally and canonically ; the king also gave him letters testimonial to the pope, and begged that pontiff in his kindness to grant the knight's request. How the election of the prior of Canterbury was annulled at Rome. In the Whitsun week of the same year, the prior John, archbishop elect of Canterbury, went to Rome and showed the warrant of his election to the pope, who then ordered master John de Colonna and some other cardinals to question him, and discover if he was a fit person to be promoted to that dignified station. After an examination of three days, during which they carefully questioned him on nineteen points, as was said, they declared to the pope that they found no legitimate cause for rejecting him. It appeared however to the pope that he was too old and simple, and therefore unfit for such a high station, he therefore advised him to resign ; and the archbishop elect humbly renounced the election which had been made, and asked leave to return home. The pope then granted permission to the monks to elect another, and ordered them to choose one to whom he could entrust his duty and pastoral charge. How the English king dismissed some of his ministers from their offices. About this time, Llewellyn, the Welsh chief, invaded the territories of the English barons, and, in bis usual way, commenced ravaging the country with fire and pillage. l'eter bishop of \\ in chester, and some other counsellors of the king, therefore went to him, and declared that it was a great scandal on his crown, that those worthless robbere, the Welsh, roved with impunity through