540 ANNALS OF ROGER DE HOVEDEN. A.D . 1201·. mund's, as being suspected by him, both because the said [archdeacon] was on too close terms of intimacy with you, and because, as he asserted, he himself is related to you by blood, as also because you had manifestly shown favour towards the said archdeacon in relation to the said matters, and had shown opposition to the said Roger, by petitioning our most dearly-beloved son in Christ, the illustrious king of England, and our venerable brother, the archbishop of Canterbury,97 although he had offered to make good his objections to you, in presence of judges chosen for the purpose, you, nevertheless, our sons, the abbat of Sibbeton and the prior of Norwich, presumed, as it was stated, to pronounce judgment. And, further, that whereas mention was made unceasingly in our letters of the revenues that had accrued from the archdeaconry, you, contrary to the laws and canons, deprived him of the benefit of such command. On the other hand, although the said archdeacon had objected in our presence, that his said adversary was an excommunicated person, and was ready to prove the same98 within a competent time, and to make corporeal oath that he had not made such allegation as a cause for delay, you, nevertheless, not allowing the exception, pronounced that he was not to be heard, unless he should prove forthwith that which he had by way of objection alleged. "Wherefore, when the said archdeacon felt that he was aggrieved by you99 on these and other points, he appealed to our presence, and set out on the road, for the purpose of prosecuting his appeal. But you, as it is said, being by no means withheld from taking cognisance of the cause, after appeal made, proceeded therewith, both to the prejudice and in favour of, the said archdeacon. "Wherefore, inasmuch as we wish no one, in contravention of justice, to be aggrieved, and the bearing or decision of causes so to proceed, that neither party may have a just cause for complaint, we do, by these ApostoBc writings, command your discreetness, that since, if, in the letters which the said Roger obtained to you from us no mention is made of the compromise that took place as to the archdeaconry, and of the oath that was taken, because he obtained the same by means of suppression of the truth, 9 7 Probably in favour of archdeacon Honorius. 9 8 To make any sense of this passage, which, like the greater part of the letter, is evidently imperfect, it is clear that " hoc' must stand in place of " non." 8 9 " Nobis" is clearly a misprint for " vobis."