A.D. 1192. LETTEK TO THE AECHBISHOP OF ROUEN. ous king of the English left the administration of the whole of his kingdom to our lord of Ely, and left no one his equal or superior. W e have seen letters of our lord the king to that effect ; those which revoke them or are contrary thereto we have not seen, nor do we see, nor yet a signed copy thereof with the seals thereto appended and duly authenticated. However, many venerable persons have written against the lord chancellor ; and in favour of the lord chancellor we have received letters from many venerable persons. But the letters that you bring are "from those who have expelled the lord chancellor ; and we are not very much surprised if they do seem to write in their own favour. We know that our lord the king never showed to any mortal so much love, or paid such high honor, as he has done to our lord of Ely. He made him not only bishop of the venerable and most wealthy see of Ely, but his chancellor as well, and, besides, has entrusted to his sole charge the whole of the kingdom of England. And yet, with all this our lord the king was not content, but begged our lord Clement of happy memory, and ourselves as well, to bestow the office of legate upon the lord chancellor. Consider how affectionately he loved him ; what man is there whom he loves as much, or has loved ? At the entreaty of our lord the king, and at his urgent request, we have granted the legateship for the present to the lord bishop of Ely. That the king has withdrawn such great favour thus suddenly from the man whom he used to love we can hardly believe, unless we see his letter and the royal seal. And what we have granted to our lord the king, to wit, the legateship of our lord of Ely, we cannot possibly suspend or take away without suffering the stigma of falsehood. Moreover, all the bishops of England have sent us letters begging us to confirm him in the office of legate, and, unanimously supplicating us, have put forward many recommendations in favour of the chancellor. And that now, the contrary should be asked by them, seems to us to deserve to be imputed to a feeling of levity. Even your own master, too, the archbishop of Eouen, sent to us letters, full of professions of devotion, in favour of the bishop of Ely ; inasmuch as he could write in his favour as long as he enjoyed prosperity. Consequently, it is a hard matter to listen to those against him, when oppressed with the calamity of exile, as to whom it has been written, ' So long as you are fortunate, you will reckon many a friend; if the times become cloudy, VOL. Π. Τ