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Rh must take things as they were and make the best of them. They were prepared to recognise the intervention of the king as legitimate, while insisting that the king should not sell the episcopate and should observe the canonical regulations. "None shall buy the episcopal dignity for money," runs the pronouncement of the Fifth Council of Orleans, of 549; "the bishop shall, with the king's consent and according to the choice of the clergy and the people, be consecrated by the metropolitan and the other bishops of the province." These principles were recalled at the famous council of 614, but without the mention of the king: "On the decease of a bishop there shall be appointed in his place whoever shall have been elected by the metropolitan, the bishops of the province, and the clergy and people of the city, without hindrance and without gift of money." Chlotar II in the edict confirming these canons modified the tenor of this article. While recognising the right of election of the persons interested, he maintained the right of intervention of the prince. "If the elected person is worthy, he shall be consecrated, upon the order of the prince." From that time forward the established procedure was as follows. On the death of a prelate the citizens and the people of the civitas assemble, under the presidency of the metropolitan and the other bishops of the province. They choose the successor and make known to the king the act of election — consensus civium pro episcopatu. If the king approves, he transmits to the metropolitan the order to consecrate the bishop-elect, and invites the other bishops of the province to be present at the ceremony. If he is dissatisfied with the election, he requests the electors to choose another candidate, and sometimes he himself nominates him.

The power of the bishop was very great. All the clergy of the diocese were under his control, and in the episcopal city a certain number of clerics lived in the bishop's house and ate at his table. Chrodegang, bishop of Metz, laid down about the middle of the eighth century a very strict rule for these clergy, requiring them to live as a community: this was the origin of secular canons. Throughout the whole diocese the bishop reserved to himself certain religious functions. He alone had power to consecrate altars and churches, to bless the holy oils, to confirm the young and to ordain clergy. All other functions he delegated to the archpriests, whose appointment was either made or sanctioned by him. Only these archpriests had the right to baptise, and at the great festivals they alone had the right to say mass. The district under the authority of the archpriest soon came to be considered as a smaller parochia within the larger parochia. The archpriests were generally placed in the vici, the large country-towns. Under them were the clerics who served the oratories of the villae; these clerics were presented by the proprietors of the villae for institution by the bishop. The bishop was assisted in his work by an archdeacon who exercised oversight among the clergy