him and how sorrowful they would be of his departing, he marvelled greatly, and thought verily that he was greatly beloved of God and was with him in all his works, for he saw in him the meekness of David, the chastity of Joseph, and the riches of Solomon, and yet he set nought thereby. Then the pope, considering the great perils that might ensue by his departing, dispensed with him, and assoiled him of his avow, of which he sent to him a bull under lead, and enjoyned him in penance to give the goods that he should have spent in his pilgrimage to deeds of charity, and to re-edify some church of S. Peter and endow it with sufficient livelihood. And then the messengers received the pope's blessing, and returned into England and came unto the king at Westminster. And when the king understood how he was assoiled of his avow and how they had sped, he was glad, and thanked Almighty God and our holy father the pope.
There was a holy man, a recluse in the diocese of Worcester, which knew nothing of the council assembled upon the governance of the land, ne of the avow of the king, ne of the message sent to Rome; to whom S. Peter appeared in a night, and said to him how King Edward had sent to Rome to be assoiled of the avow that he made when he was beyond the sea; 'and he hath great conscience because his counsel would not suffer him to accompany it in going in his proper person to Rome; wherefore thou shalt write to him in my name and give him knowledge that he is assoiled by mine authority from the bond of his avow, and how he shall have, in com-
