Geoffrey de Haye, his own secretary, and the secretary of Alexis, the legate in Ireland, to take possession of the archbishopric of Dublin, and also sent with them John, the constable of Chester, and Richard of the Peak, to take charge of the city of Dublin, of which Hugh de Lacy had had the keeping. For our lord the king was unwilling that he should any longer have charge of it, because he had, without his permission, married the daughter of the king of Connaught, according to the usage of that country. In the same year, our lord the pope most strictly commanded Richard, the archbishop of Canterbury, all pretexts and excuses laid aside, under pain of ecclesiastical censure, to compel Geoffrey, the bishop elect of the church of Lincoln, and son* of our lord the king of England, either to renounce his election, or without delay to take priest's orders, and assume the dignity of the pontifical office. On this, Geoffrey being placed in a dilemma, sensible of his own insufficiency, and considering that he was not competent to perform the duties of so arduous an office, preferred to renounce the episcopal office, rather than undertake to bear a burden which he could not support. Accordingly, he wrote to Richard, the archbishop of Canterbury, to the following effect. The Letter of Geoffrey, bishop of Lincoln elect, on his resignation of that hishopric. "To the venerable father and lord Richard, by the grace of God, archbishop of Canterbury, and legate of the Apostolic See, Geoffrey, son and chancellor of our lord the king of England, health and all due and duteous respect. It has pleased his Apostolic Majesty to instruct your holiness to call upon me within a certain time to take priest's orders and to assume the dignity of the pontifical office. Now upon considering how many bishops of more mature years, and more advanced in wisdom, are still hardly of an age to prove themselves equal to the requirements of such a weighty office, and are scarcely able to fulfil the duties of their pontificate without danger to souls, I have been alarmed at myself who am so much younger, assuming a burden, which those more advanced in years are unable to bear, not doing so from any levity of feeling, but from a feeling of respect for my vows. Having therefore had an interview hereon, with our lord the king, my father, and my lords and brothers the king * Illegitimate son. He was afterwards archbishop of York.