Λ.ΐ). 1213.] LETTER ΟΓ l'Ot'E INNOCENT. the church of Koine; anil for the restitution of the confiscated property, they appointed to meet at Reading on the 3rd of November. On the appointed day, when all had as beton; assembled, the king did not make his appearance, Inn on the third day after they again all assembled at Wnllingford ; and there the king, as before, willingly promised that he would satisl'y the. bishops and all the rest for the property which had been confiscated ; but this seemed of little n.-e to those whose castles had been thrown down, houses destroyed, and whose orchards and woods had been cut down ; therefore the king and the bishops alike agreed to abide by the decision of four barons, and thus all would be satisfied by their decision. On the fît li of November they again assembled at Heading, the king and the legate, the archbishop and bishops, the nobles, and all the religious men connected with the business of the interdict, and at this conference' they each and all produced a paper containing the amount of the confiscated property and their losses; but as the legate showed favour to the king, the payment of all was postponed except in tint case of the archbishop and bishops who had been so long exiled from Kngland, who there received fifteen marks of silver. l'ope innocent to Nicholas bishop of Tusculum, about the vacant churches. At this time pope Innocent sent letters to Nicholas, legate of the apostolic see, to the following purport : " As the Lord's churches cannot better be provided for than when suitable pastors arc appointed to them, who will desire not so much to have authority over them as to promote their welfare, we, by these apostolic letters, enjoin your brotherhood, in whom we have full confidence, to cause suitable persons, according to your own judgment, to be ordained to the bishoprics and abbacies in I'jighmd now vacant, cither by election or by canonical appointment, who shall be remarkable, not only for their mode of life, but also for their learning, and at the same time faithful to the king, and of use to the kingdom, and also efficacious in giving assistance and advice, tin' king's consent being previously obtained. When therefore we by our letters command the chapters of the vacant churches to abide by your advice, do you, always having llie Lord in view, consult on these matters with prudent and honourable υ 2