led into Normandy and came to Rowan: where he was royally receiued, and truce concluded betwene him and the Frēch kyng for a time. And thether came to him the Earle of Flaunders, & all other Lordes of Fraunce that were of Kyng Richards band & frendshyp, & were sworne vnto him.

MarginaliaArthur of Britayne.Not long after this, Phillip the French king made Arthure knight, and tooke his homage for Normandy, Britaine, and all other his possessions beyond the Sea: and promised him helpe agaynst Kyng Ihon. MarginaliaA cōmunicatiō betwene the Kyng of Englād & the French kingAfter this king Ihon and the French kyng talked together with their Lordes, about one houres space: And the French kyng asked so much land for himselfe & Knyght Arthure, that Kyng Iohn would graunt him none, and so departed in wrath.

The same yeare, a legate came into Fraunce and commaunded the Kyng in payne of interdiction, to deliuer one Peter out of prison, that was elect to a Bishoprik, & therupon he was deliuered.

And after that, the Legate came into England, & commaunded King Ihon vnder payne of interdictiō, to deliuer þ^e Archbishop which he had kept as a prisoner ij. yeares: which the Kyng denyed to do, till he had payd him. 6000. markes. Because he tooke him in harnes in a field agaynst him, and sware him vpon his deliueraunce, that he should neuer weare harnes agaynst any Christen man.

This tyme, diuorce was made betwene Kyng Ihon and his wife, daughter of the Earle of Glocester, because they were in the iij. degree of kinred. MarginaliaMariage in the 3. degree forbidden by the Pope.
1200.And after, by the counsell of the French kyng, Kyng Ihon wedded Isabell daughter of the Earle of Anguilla, and then Arthur of Britaine did homage to kyng Iohn for Britaine and other.

At this tyme fell strife betwen Kyng Ihon & Geoffrey the Archbyshop of Yorke for diuers causes: first, because he would not suffer and permitte the Sherife of Yorke in such affaires as he had to do for þ^e Kyng within his Dioces. Secōdly, because he dyd also excōmunicate the sayd Sheriffe. Thirdly, because he would not sayle with him into Normandy, to make the Mariage betwene Lewes the French kynges sonne and his niece. &c.

Marginalia1202.After this, in the yeare of our Lord. 1202. Phillip the French kyng (in a communicatiō betwene Kyng Ihon and him) required: that the sayd King Ihon should depart with all his landes in Normandy and Pictauia which he had beyond the sea, vnto Arthur his nephew, and that incontinent, or els he would warre agaynst him, and so dyd. For when Kyng Ihon denyed that request, the next day followyng, the French kyng with the sayd Arthur, set vpon certaine of his townes and castels in Normandy, and put hym to much disquietnes. But he (the Lord so prouiding, which is the geuer of all victory) had such repulse at the Englishmens handes: MarginaliaNat. pariti in vita Ioannis Regis.
Arthur.that they pursuyng the Frenchmen in their flight, did so follow them to their hold, and so enforced vpon thē: that not onely they tooke the said Arthur prisoner with many other of the Frenchmen: but also gaue such an ouerthrow to the rest, that none was there left to beare tydings home. This Arthur was nephew to Kyng Iohn, and sonne to Geffrey, whiche was the elder sonne to Ihon. For King Henry the 2. (to make the matter more euident,) had viij. children: one William which dyed in his childhode: the secōd Henry, which dyed also his father beyng yet alyue: the third Geoffrey Erle of Britaine, which likewise deceassed in his fathers dayes, leauyng behind him two children, Arthur & Brecca. The forth, Richard Coeur de Lyon Kyng: the v. Ihon now reignyng: and iij. other daughters besides. The same Arthur beyng thus taken in warre, was brought before the Kyng at the castell of Falesie in Normandy: who beyng exhorted with many gētle wordes to leaue the Frēch kyng and to incline to his vncle, aunswered agayne stoutly & with great indignation: requiryng the kingdome of England with all the other dominions thereto belōgyng to be restored to hym as to the lawfull heyre of the crowne. By reason wherof he (prouokyng the Kings displeasure against him) was sent to þ^e tower of Rowan: where at length (whether by leapyng into þ^e ditch thinking to make his escape, or whether by some other priuy hād, or by what chaūce els: it is not yet agreed vpō in stories) he finished his lyfe. By occasion wherof, the foresayd K. Ihon was had after in great suspicion: whether iustly or vniustly, the Lord knoweth.

Marginalia1203.
Normandy lost and gotten by the Frenchmen.The yeare folowyng, Historiographers write that Kyng Ihon for lacke of rescue, lost all his holdes and possessions in Normandy, through the force of the French kyng.

After these losses, came other troubles vpon him: with other as great or more greater enemyes (that is with the Pope & his popelinges) by occasion of chusing of the archbishop of Cāterbury, as in this history followeth by Christ his grace, to be declared.

The yeare of our Lord 1205. about the moneth of Iu-MarginaliaAn. 1205.ly, Hubert the Archbishop of Canterbury decessed, whose decesse after it was in Cāterbury to the monkes knowē: and afore his body was yet cōmitted to the earth: MarginaliaStriuing for the election of the Archb. of Cant.the younger sort of the monkes there gathered themselues together at midnight) and elected their superiour Reignold, & without the Kynges licence or yet knowledge priuely placed him in the metropolicall seat, singyng Te Deum at midnight. And because the King should not make their electiō of none effect, they charged him by vertue of his othe to keepe all secret by the way, and to shew nothyng what was done before he came to the pope: but he cōtrary to his othe, so soone as he came in Flaunders opened all abroad the matter, and vttered their counsell: whereupon the monkes beyng not a little agreued w^t him, sent hym priuely to the court of Rome out of hand. The next day, þ^e elder mōkes sent to þ^e King: desiring of hym, his gracious licence canonically to chose their Archb. The Kyng most gently & fauorably graunted their petition: requiryng them instantly and desiryng, that for his sake they would shew fauour to Ihon Gray then Byshop of Norwich, as they did in deede: erectyng him into that seat of their high primacy. Moreouer, because the autoritie of Kynges and Princes was then but small in their owne dominion without the Popes consent, and confirmation to the same: he sent also to Rome of his owne charges, to haue the foresayd election ratified by the pope. The suffraganes of Canterbury then (being not a litle offended at these two elections) sent speedely to Rome to haue them both stopped: for that they, had not bene of counsell with them. And hereupon at the last, grew a most prodigious tumult.

MarginaliaAn. 1206.The next yeare after, the suffraganes of the prouince of Canterbury on the one side, and the Monkes of Canterbury on the other side: came afore the pope with their brawlyng matter. MarginaliaPrelates of the Church had then money enough belike that they could keepe play at Rome agaynst their prince, which thing caused the princes after to seeke such meanes to cut them short.First the monkes presentyng Reignold their superiour, desired that their election might be confirmed. The suffraganes likewise complayned that the Monkes would presume to chuse the Archbyshop without their consent, and therfore desired by diuers reasons the first election to be of none effect. The Pope decising the matter betwene both, pronounced with the monkes, chargyng the Suffraganes and Byshops, to meddle no more with that election, but to let the monkes alone. The monkes of Canterbury now hauyng the whole electiō in their owne handes, fell also at square among thēselues, the yoūger sort with the elder. The younger sort which had chosen Reignold their superiour, would that election to stand. The elder sort of the monkes replied agayne, saying: that the first election was done by stelth and by night and by the younger part, also without the counsell of other monkes: ouer and besides it was done without the kynges lyicence or appointment, and without the due solemnitie therunto belongyng.

MarginaliaAn. 1207.
Dissention amōg the Monkes of Cant. about the election of the Archb.And as concerning our election (sayd they) it was done in the cleare light of the day, by which it had autoritie in presence of our liege Lord the kyng and his counsell beyng willing to the same.

This allegation thus proponed: the Suffraganes proctour or man of law stode forth, and proued the former election to be good, and this latter to be voyde and of no value, after this sort. Whether the first electiō (sayth he) were iust or vniust, ye ought first by the law to haue condemned it, afore ye should haue presumed to the second: but thus ye dyd not. Therfore is this your latter doing no election at all: and the first therfore is rather to be ratified than yours. When they had thus multiplied talke on both sides, with many friuolous allegations a long time, and could not agree vpon one person: Pope Innocent condemned both their electiōs, commaundyng them to chose Stephen Lāgton, then Cardinall of S. Chrisogone for their Archbyshop. The mōkes then aunswered, that they durst not so do, without cōsent of their kyng, & for þ^t it was preiudiciall to their aunciēt liberties. The pope by and by (sayth the text) as one in a fury, takyng the wordes out of their mouthes, sayd thus vnto them. We will ye to know, that we haue full power and autoritie ouer the Church of Caunterbury: neither are we wont to tary the consent of princes: therfore we commaunde you in payne of our great curse that ye chose him onely whō we haue appointed.

MarginaliaThe pride and tirāy of the PopeThe Monkes at these wordes abashed and terrified, though they much murmured in their hartes, yet consented they all in one, and therupon sang Te Deum. Onely Doctour Helias Brantfield withdrewe himselfe from that election, whom the kyng had sent for the admission of the Byshop of Norwich.

MarginaliaStephan Langtō made Archb. of Canterbury.Thus was Stephan Langton (in the high Church of Viterby, by the Popes hand) made Archbyshop of Canterbury. From thence forth therfore (sayth Mathew Paris) the Pope could do no lesse but mightely defend him from all