How the pope sent legates to make peace between the king and St. Thomas. The same year were sent two legates a latere, Vivian and Gratianus, to make peace between the king of England and the archbishop of Canterbury ; but though their powers were equal, their opinions were different, and it was not likely that in the end they should be found to agree, when in the outset their feelings were so conflicting: thus Gratianus failed to find favour with the king, and Vivian with the archbishop. They presented themselves before the king and archbishop at Bayeux in Normandy, and after almost endless negotiations, a reconciliation seemed on the point of being effected, when William archbishop of Sens sent a letter cautioning the legates, according to instructions which they had received from the pope, to proceed no further with the negotiations without his concurrence. Thus the two legates left the king's court without completing any thing ; for king Henry would not in any way come to terms, unless the bad customs and dignities of his kingdom were fully respected, and this the legates themselves did not think proper to assent to. King Henry's letter to pope Alexander. The same year, Gilbert, bishop of London, crossed the sea, to present himself before pope Alexander, and render an account of Ids causes for appeal. Passing through Normandy, where Henry then was, he consulted with the king how they might circumvent the blessed archbishop of Canterbury and blacken his righteous cause in the sight of the holy pontiff. A t length they agreed together that the king should send to Rome a solemn embassy, expressly declaring that, unless the pope would at once use severity in quelling the archbishop's pride, himself and all his barons and clergy would renounce their obedience to the pope. The tenor of the king's letter was as follows : — " Your serene highness, my father, knows well what anxieties and wrongs have been occasioned to me by my adversary Thomas, though my conscience bears me witness that I have not deserved it ; that Τ have done nothing worthy of such indignity. He has now added anew injury to the many that have preceded, and does not cease to afflict one who is innocent; for by your authority as he declares, he has