belonging to Verneuil castle ; but, by the intervention of the ecclesiastics, a truce was made between the king and the duke. This year, also, king Stephen came to St. Alban'», and was informed of the illness of abbat Ralph ; there, by the mediation of the bishops and other prelates, he granted to the monks to use their own privileges in electing an abbat. With this permission they unanimously chose their prior Robert de Gorham, who accordingly received the usual bene diction on the 17th of June. His predecessor died nine teen days after his election, and was buried with due re verence in the chapter-house, with the other abbats. The same year it was revealed to a certain man in a dream that if he cut off his hands and his feet, he would secure his eternal salvation ; he accordingly did so, and immediately afterwards expired. In that year, on the day of the exalta tion of the holy cross, died Matilda, wife of king Stephen, at Haingeham, a castle of count Alberic de Ver, and was buried in Faversham abbey, which king Stephen had built. The same year, John, a monk of Seez, was appointed the second bishop* of the island of Man, which lies between England and Ireland, but nearer to England ; for which reason, also, its bishop is subject to the archbishop of York. The first bishop there was Wimund, a monk of Savigny, but for his perverse disposition, he was deprived of sight and banished. The same year died William, bishop of Durham ; and Geoffrey, f surnamed Arthur, who translated the History of the Britons from British into Latin, was made bishop of St. Asaph, in North Wales. It was also determined in a chapter of the Cistercians that no more new abbeys of their order should be founded, for their number already amounted to five hundred. John Papiro, cardinal, at this time was discharging the office of legate in Ireland, where he erected four archbishoprics. In his passage through England, the legate took the oath of fidelity to king Stephen. Of the miraculous manner in which a heresy was confuted. About this time, the perverse doctrine of one Henry, a heretic, gained much strength, particularly in Gascony, * Second after the union of Man with Sodor. Τ Geoffrey of llonmouth.