victory, to die for a crown of glory and for life, to endure hardships and difficulties for a time on behalf of Him, who despising contempt, endured to be spit upon, beaten with the fists of his persecutors, scourged and crowned with thorns, who stood before Pilate as if he were guilty of many crimes, and finally was nailed to the cross where he was given gall to drink, pierced with a lance, and giving up his breath with a loud cry, he thus closed his earthly career overwhelmed with insults, in order to preserve the human race. He it was, to speak more fully, who did not disdain to descend from the throne of his Father's glory, bowing the heavens wonderfully beneath him, to our state of mortality; he did not disdain, from being God to become man, from being the Creator to become the creature, and, although the Lord, to assume the form of the slave, in order that we, who could not hope for forgiveness by our own righteousness, might by this obtain unheard-of grace, might become heirs of God, joint heirs with Christ, sharers of the Deity, and participators in eternal felicity. And although, through his grace we have been adopted by him, we give daily proofs of ingratitude, yet He abounds in goodness, inasmuch as to prove the faith of his followers, he suffers the land, in which it was his will to be born, to die, and to rise again, to be so long held by the infidels, although the hand of the Lord is not weakened, nor his virtue in any respect diminished, for he who had made all things from nothing could in an instant set it free. He requires from men the graces of love and compassion, to display the final consummation and fulfilment of the law; he first deigned to take pity on man in his ruined state, and would by no means have permitted impious hands to be so strengthened against the pious, if he had not taken care that his own injury should be avenged out of our confusion, and our disciplining accrue from his victory. Thus plunged in the depths of sin, and unable otherwise to make atonement, men would have been sunk despairingly in that sea of evils, if a plank had not thus been offered to them, so that by dying for Christ they might briefly attain to the consummation of many years. For many, desiring to behold the lands where our Lord stood, have reached the goal without the labour of a race, the crown without the ordeal of the sword, through Him who rewards his faithful soldier, and looks only for good will in his service. We therefore, trusting in the mercy of Almighty God and the authority of his apostles St. Peter and St. Paul, and by the power to bind and to loose, which God has given us, hereby grant to all who shall undertake this work in their own persons and at their own expense, or who shall provide fitting men in their stead, or who shall go at the expense of others, or who shall supply money wherewith to render meet assistance to the Holy Land, or who shall render advice or assistance to the same end, a full pardon for all the sins which they shall repent of in their hearts and confess with their mouths;

and we command that all, both clerks and laity, who may take the cross, shall, both in their persons and property, remain secure under the protection of St. Peter and ourself, and of the archbishops, bishops, and prelates of the church, until certain knowledge shall be obtained of their death or of their return, during which time, also, no payment of usury shall be exacted from them, either by Jews or Christians. Given at Spoleto, 4th September, in the eighth year of our pontificate."

The pope also appointed brothers of the order of Minorites and preachers, to preach the cross throughout all the world, together with able masters in theology, who went forth on the work of the gospel, the Lord co-operating with them and confirming their preaching by signs following: every province by the apostolic mandate had its archdeacons and deans, who collected together all the people of the diocese both men and women, anathematizing all who neglected to attend their preaching.

A miracle connected with a woman whose limbs were contracted. On the 11th of June in this same year, master Robert de Lawes, a brother of the Minorite order, was preaching the gospel on behalf of the crusade in the town of Clare, and a certain woman there, who had been deprived of all use of her limbs for three years, fearing the sentence of excommunication, gave what little money she possessed to a neighbour to carry her on his shoulders to the place where Roger was preaching; there she lay groaning and lamenting till the man of God had finished preaching, when he, touched with compassion at her lamentations, and seeing her lying there, went to her and asked her the reason of her having come there. She replied that through fear of excommunication, she had been brought to the place of his preaching, on which he ordered her to go to her home, not knowing she had lost the use of her limbs. On the bystanders informing him that she had been entirely deprived of the use of her limbs for three years, he asked her if she believed that God was powerful enough, if it were his pleasure, to render her sound, to which she replied, “I do, sir." The man of God, then taking the woman in his arms lifted her up with confidence, saying at the same time, "May the Almighty God, in whom you believe, render you sound." On his ordering her to get up she did so putting her trust in God, and as she was rising, her bones and nerves began suddenly to crack so that the bystanders thought that all her limbs would have been broken to pieces; she was however thus restored to her former soundness, and returned to her house rejoicing and glorifying God for having bestowed such power on his servant.*

* Paris adds;-" About this time two monks, the chosen messengers of the conventual church of St. Alban's, namely master Reginald the physician, and master Nicholas of St. Alban's, both priests, wise and eloquent men, with their clerks, master Geoffrey Langley and Geoffrey Foccarius, their

How the emperor demanded the sister of the king of England in marriage. In the month of February of this year two templars, with some knights and other special messengers, came to the king at Westminster, charged with letters, sealed with gold, from the emperor Frederic, demanding the hand of the English king's sister, Isabel, in marriage. They reached the king on the 23rd of February, and begged for an answer to the letters and the demand, that they might announce the king's decision to their lord with all haste. The king then held a careful deliberation with the bishops and nobles of his kingdom for three days, when they all, after duly considering the matter, unanimously agreed that the lady should be given to the emperor, and on the 27th of February the king gave his answer agreeing to the demanded alliance. The messengers then asked permission to see the lady, and the king sent some trustworthy messengers to fetch his sister from the tower of London where she was carefully guarded; the messengers conserving man, and others, set out for the court of Rome, in the octaves of Easter on the 15th of April, carrying with them the procuratorial letters of the convent, and attended by the prayers of the whole brotherhood," &c. He then gives the form of these procuratorial letters, together with the rescript of pope Gregory addressed to the bishops of London and Ely, the return of the messengers with the pope's warrant, and proceeds to give the following account of the benediction of the abbat of St. Alban's.

The bishop of London therefore, the other bishop making some excuse for not attending, proceeded to fulfil the orders of the apostolic see, and after making a due examination of the abbat elect he found nothing incorrect in his character, and therefore, on the day after the nativity of the blessed Virgin, he solemnly conferred the benediction on him in the church of St. Alban's, where the letters enclosed in the pope's warrant were opened, and, as was the custom, were read by the elect, who was to receive the benediction, in the presence of the bishop, the conventual assembly, the clergy, and people, and which contained the following declaration; "I, John, abbat of the monastery of St. Alban's, will from this hour be faithful and obedient to St. Peter, to the holy apostolic church of Rome, to my lord pope Gregory, and to his successors canonically appointed to that see. I will not by advice, consent, or deed, cause loss of life or limb to them, or caption of body. And the advice which they shall entrust to me themselves or by their messengers or letters I will not, to my knowledge, disclose to any one to their injury. The Roman papacy and the royalties of St. Peter I will aid both in holding and defending against all men, saving my order. The legate of the apostolic see I will treat with honour both as he comes and returns, and will assist him in his necessities. When summoned to the synod I will come, unless prevented by any canonical impediment. I will visit the threshold of the apostles every three years, either in person or by my messenger, unless permission from the apostolic see shall release me from so doing. The possessions belonging to my monastery I will not sell, give away, pledge, nor enfee anew, nor will I alienate them in any way without the advice of the Roman pontiff. So help me God and the holy gospel."

...

ducted her with all honour to the king at Westminster where she appeared before the messengers of the emperor, a lady in her 20th year, beautiful to look upon, adorned with virgin modesty, and distinguished by her royal dress and manners. After they had refreshed their sight for some time with gazing on the lady, they decided that she was most worthy in all respects of the imperial couch, and confirmed the marriage on the soul of the emperor by oath, presenting her with a wedding ring in his name; after they had placed it on her finger they proclaimed her empress of Rome, all exclaiming, "Long live our empress." They then sent messengers with all haste to inform the emperor of what they had done, who, immediately after Easter, sent the archbishop of Cologne, and the duke of Louvaine, with a large array of nobles, into England to bring the empress to him with due honour, and to complete the marriage ceremony, in order that it might be consummated.

Of the wedding ornaments of the empress and of the noble preparations. There was such a profusion of ornaments at this marriage that they appeared to surpass kingly wealth; for the empress herself a crown had been most elaborately constructed out of pure gold adorned with jewels, and on it were carved likenesses of the four martyr and confessor kings of England, to whom the king had especially assigned the care of his sister's soul. She shone forth with such a profusion of rings and gold necklaces, and other splendid jewels, with silk and thread garments, and other like ornaments, which usually attract the gaze and excite the desires of women even to covetousness, that they appeared invaluable. With bridal garments of silk, wool, and thread, she was so well supplied, that it was difficult to say which would be most likely to attract the emperor's affections. Her couch was so rich in its coverlets and pillows of various colours, and the various furniture and sheets made of pure fine linen, that by its softness it would invite those lying in it to a delightful slumber. All the drinking cups and dishes were of the purest gold and silver; and, what seemed superfluous to every one, all the cooking pots, large and small, were of pure silver. And to take the management and care of all these, some of the attendants of the courts were deputed, and to wait on the empress and her family in kingly custom. After being supplied with these and many other gifts by her brother and receiving a dowry from him, the lady Isabel remained under the care of the bishop of Exeter, and Ralph Fitz Nicholas, the king's seneschal, and other nobleman of his household, and attended by noble dames and damsels, who, being all skilled in courtly manners, would suffice to wait on and escort the empress. After he had thus arranged matters the king, on St. John's day, held a solemn festival before the Latin gate at Westminster in company with the archbishop of Cologne and the emperor's other messengers; on the day following they all took the road towards the borough of

Dartford accompanied by the king with a large train of earls and barons. The king had also procured for the lady, in honour of her as empress, a number of horses remarkable for their various colours and of gentle paces, which bore their riders with a delightful gentleness, without annoying them by the motion of their feet; the trappings and saddles too, gilt and carved, were of such a variety, and the bridles and reins so elaborately worked in gold, that they set off the rider as well as the horse. They proceeded through the city of Rochester and arrived at the abbey of Feversham, and starting from thence they went to Canterbury to perform their devotions to the archbishop and martyr, Thomas; after fulfilling their religious duties, they proceeded to the port of Sandwich to the number of about three thousand knights. From that port the empress and the archbishop of Cologne, with the noblemen and ladies appointed as her suite, embarked on the 11th of May, and put to sea under full sail; it was not however without weeping that the brother and sister, the king and empress parted.

Of the arrival of the empress at Cologne.

After a voyage of three days and nights they entered the mouth of the river Rhine, and after a run of a day and night up that river, they arrived at Antwerp, a city under the imperial jurisdiction. On their landing at this place they were met by an immense host of armed nobles, who had been sent by the emperor to act as a guard to the empress, to keep vigilant watch round her person day and night; for it was reported that some of the emperor's enemies, who were in alliance with the French king, were planning to carry off the empress, and prevent the marriage. They were also met by all the priests and clergy of the adjacent districts in solemn procession, ringing bells and singing songs of joy, and with them came all the best masters in every sort of music with their instruments, who accompanied the empress with all kinds of nuptial rejoicings during her journey of five days to Cologne. When her approach became known at that place there went out to meet her, with flowers, palm branches, and in festive dresses, about ten thousand of the citizens, mounted on Spanish horses, who put them to full speed and engaged in jousting with one another. Accompanied by these rejoicing crowds the empress proceeded through the principal streets of the city, which had been decorated in all kinds of ways against her arrival; and, on learning that every one, and especially the noble ladies of the city, who sat in the balconies, were desirous of seeing her face, she took her cap and hood from her head, for all to get a sight of her, for doing which every one praised her, and after they had gazed at her gave her great commendations for her beauty as well as her humility. She then took up her abode outside the walls of the city on account of the noise therein, and there awaited the emperor's instructions.