A HISTORY OF LONDON In the matter of the election it is likely that the canons sought to resist the power and greed of foreigners as much as to maintain rightful liberties. The cathedral took a prominent part in the resistance to Archbishop Boniface. It claimed immunity from metropolitical visitations. When, therefore, the archbishop would have visited the chapter in 1250, the canons refused to admit him into their church and appealed to the pope ; and Boniface excommunicated the dean, Henry of Cornhill, with certain other dignitaries. Afterwards, when he was about to go to Rome, he procured that the dean and canons should be cited to appear at the papal court, and he was supported by a letter of the king to Innocent IV." The chapter asked for the help of all the bishops of England, and sent to Rome, as proctors, the dean and the canons Robert of Barton and William of Lichfield." In 1 25 1 Innocent revoked the sentence of ex- communication ; *' but, in the next year, a papal decree obliged the cathedral to submit to an archiepiscopal visitation.^* It took place in 1253; and Alatthew Paris tells that the canons ' kindly' admitted Boniface, and that he bore himself cautiously and moderately.*' There were few papal provisions to ofEces in St. Paul's in this reign. A prebend and canonry were conferred by the pope on Alexander de Ferentino, papal sub-deacon and chaplain, but they were granted in effect to William of Kilkenny, and the dean and chapter contended, in justification, that the papal appointment could not take effect, since the prebends were limited in number, and the collation to all of them belonged to the bishop. A papal chaplain was thereupon ordered to hear the proctors of both parties, and, on his report, a mandate of 1254 granted the disputed prebend to Alexander, and provided William to the next which should fall vacant.** In 1256 Alexander is called canon of London.*' On the death of Richard Talbot, in 1262, Innocent IV attempted to provide John de Ebulo, papal sub- deacon and chaplain to the deanery. But the canons were resolute in their resistance ; the settlement of the question was delegated by the pope to the cardinal of Sts. Cosmo and Damiano, who arranged a compromise. By virtue of this Ebulo resigned his claim to the deanery and received certain pensions from the goods of the dean and chapter, and the promise of the next prebend that should fall vacant. Yet in the two following years his claim was twice disregarded ; canon ries were granted to Thomas of Cantilupe, and to Amatric son of Simon de Montfort, respectively; and in 1264 Urban IV wrote to "Matt. Paris, Chron. Maj. (Rolls Ser.), v, 1 2 1, 124-5, 208, 213. " Ibid, vi, 199. " Ibid, v, 212. •^ Cal. Pap. Letters, i, 276. Matt. Paris, Chron. Maj. (Rolls Ser.), v, 322. " Cal. Pap. Letters, i, 302. " Ibid, i, 334. urge that the agreement be fulfilled.'" The canons sometimes reinforced themselves by the pope's authority when they wished to enjoy a plurality of benefices,'^ and in this way papal power had significance. Independence was generally maintained until the end of the reign of Edward I. The deans were English." In 1294 Dean William de Montfort fell dead at the king's feet as he was about to plead against excessive taxation. Much was done to the fabric of the cathedral in the thirteenth century. On St. Remigius' day, in 1241, it was dedicated afresh by Bishop Roger Niger, in the presence of the king and many prelates and magnates.'^ A grant had been received, in 1205, of a market place, to the east of the church ; and this was the site of the New Work, begun in 125 1.'* The enterprise was, to some extent, that of the Catholic church. From 1228 to 1255, and again from 1260 to 1276, numerous hortatory letters of the English and Welsh bishops granted indulgences to penitents in their dioceses who should help in the work of St. Paul's church. Eight Irish bishops issued similar indulgences between the years 1237 and 1270. In Scotland only Albinus, bishop of Brechin, attempted thus to direct the liberality of his people, and the benefits he con- ferred were extended to those who should pray at St. Paul's for the soul of Isabella of Bruce. But in 1252 Henry, archbishop of Cologne, when in England, sent out a hortatory letter to encourage contributions ; and Innocent III granted a pardon of forty days' penance for the same purpose." When the Emperor Frederick raised the siege of Parma, in 1248, the inhabitants, in their thank- fulness, vowed that they would send to St. Roger, bishop of London, a like sum to that of which they had despoiled him on his way to Rome, for the building of the church in London or for other alms which touched his honour.'* Through- '» Ibid, i, 417. " Ibid, i, 377, 525, 533. " List of deans in Appendix to ^1'^. S. PauR (ed. W. S. Simpson). " Wharton, De Episcopls, Sec, 210. " Matt. Paris, Ckron. Maj. (Rolls Ser.), iv, 49. " Trans, of St. Paul's Ecd. Soc. i, 178. '* Stow, Surv. ofLond. (ed. Strj-pe), iii, 173. " Dugdale, Hist, of St. PauFs, 6 et seq. " Matt. Paris, Ckron. Maj. (Rolls Ser.), v. 13. In the year 1247 a curious ceremony took place in con- nexion with St. Paul's. Among the treasures of the cathedral was a vase said to contain the blood of Christ. Apparently it was considered fitting that it should have a yet holier resting place. The king ordered all the priests and clerks of London to assem- ble in the church on the day of St. Edward in their most ceremonious vestments. Then with highest honour and reverence and fear he received the vase, and, preceded by the clergy in procession, he bore it to Westminster ; walking, and in the habit of a poor man. He held it above his head, and always he looked at the sky or at the vase. Ibid, iv, 641. 412
