A.D. 1232.] 01·' A KKIOIIT WHO STOLE VENISON. 547 this, Ralph carl of Chester, speaking for the rest of the nobles, replied to the king, that the earls, barons, and knights, who wero tenants of the king in chief, and were there present in person, had expended their money so lavishly to no purpose, that they had all left the continent poor men, and therefore by right were not Immnd to give the king assistance ; and then all the lay nobles a-iked leave, and retired from the council. The prelates, in answer to the king's demand, said that many of the bishops and abbats, who had been summoned were not present, and they therefore asked for a postponement of the matter till they should all assemble on a day appointed. Λ day was then appointed a fortnight after Master for them all to assemble and determine what ought to be done by right. In this same year, the conventual assembly of Canterbury elected John their prior to he their archbishop and the pastor of their souls, who on his presentation to the king was accepted of by him, and then set oil' to Rome to obtain a proper confirmation of his election from the apostolic see. Of a remarkable rifiorì concerning king Richard. About this same time Henry bishop of Rochester was performing divine service, on the Sunday when is chanted the psalm, " Coinè to the water, all ye that are thirsty," at a place called Pittingbnurn, in the presence of the archbishop elect of Canterbury, and surrounded by the clergy and people, when he confidently made the following declaration to them, "Kcjoice all of ye, my brethren in the bord, who are here present, for be assured for certain that on one and the same day lately, Richard formerly king of Kngland, and Stephen late archbishop of Canterbury in company with a chaplain id' the said archbishop, went out of the places of torture and appeared before the divine majesty, and only those three left purgatory on that day ; and you may put sure confidence in my words, for this has been revealed by a vision to me or some one else three times, so plainly that all doubt is removed from my mind." And as mention has here been made of the noble king Richard, I will relate an occurrence which happened to him, for the edification of my readers. Hate Hicliard saie Oie image of Christ bend its head towards a worshipper. During the reign of the said king Richard, a certain Knglish knight living in the New Forest, who had long made a practice of clandestinely hunting the king's deer, was on one occasion caught with some stolen venison, and by a decree of the court of the slid king was condemned to exile. This merciful king had mitigated the law in reference to stolen venison, which, amongst his predecessors had been so severe, that when any were caught committing that offence, their eyes were plucked out, their members lopped off, together with their hands and feet ; but to the pious king Richard such a punishment seemed inhuman, that men, who uro χ y i