Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 34.djvu/251

 lawyers or ministers,’ nominated by Richard I at the great council of Pipewell on the morrow of the Exaltation of the Cross, 15 Sept. (, i. 458;, ii. 69; , Chron. Maj. ii. 351; Hist. Angl. ii. 10). His see was Winchester, to which he was consecrated by Archbishop Baldwin in St. Catherine's Chapel, Westminster Abbey, 22 Oct. 1189 (, ii. 96;, ii. 71; p. 9). One of the earliest acts of his episcopate was to reclaim the manors of Meon and Wargrave, of which the see had been deprived (, ii. 91;, iii. 18). He proceeded ‘ordine judiciario,’ but according to Richard of Devizes (p. 10) took care to secure a favourable verdict by a secret gift to Richard of 3,000l. in silver, obtaining at the same time the sheriffdom of Hampshire, the confirmation of his own paternal inheritance, together with indemnity for the treasure of his church, and the constableship of the castles of Porchester and Winchester, for which he had to pay another 300l. (, vol. iii. Introduction, p. xxviii, note iv.) Not having means to pay so large a sum, he was unwillingly compelled to borrow it from the exchequer of his cathedral, binding himself and his successors to its repayment; the larger part was restored by himself on 28 Jan. 1192 (, pp. 10, 54;, iii. 18; , ii. 91). In November 1189 he was one of the arbitrators appointed by the king to compromise the long-standing dispute between Archbishop Baldwin and the monks of Canterbury relative to the proposed collegiate church at Hackington (, iii. 24;, i. 469, 508; Epp. Cant. p. 317). When Richard left England early in 1190 to complete his preparations for the crusade, Lucy was one of those summoned to the final meeting in Normandy to take measures for the safety of the realm, of which Longchamp had been appointed supreme guardian during the king's absence (, iii. 32;, ii. 105); and probably at the same time was made warden of Southampton (, Hist. of Hants, ii. 172). On 20 March, at Rouen, he witnessed Richard's ratification of the foundation of the proposed collegiate church at Lambeth (Epp. Cant. p. 324). One of the earliest of Longchamp's high-handed acts was to deprive Lucy, who was detained by sickness in Normandy, of the sheriffdom of Hampshire, the custody of his castles, and his paternal inheritance. On his return to England Lucy lost no time in confronting Longchamp, whom he found at Gloucester besieging the castle. Longchamp received him with effusive warmth, followed his advice in giving up the siege, and restored his patrimony, retaining, however, the sheriffdom and the castles (, p. 13). At the council held by Longchamp as legate at Westminster in the October of the same year he sat on his left hand, the Bishop of London sitting to his right (, ii. 851). The management of the arbitration between Longchamp and John at Winchester, 25 April 1191, was entrusted to him, in conjunction with his brother bishops of London and Bath (, iii. 135;, p. 33). He was one of the bishops who met at Canterbury, 4 May 1191, for the consecration of Robert FitzRalph to the see of Worcester (, i. 491). In the following September Geoffrey Plantagenet, the new archbishop of York, on his landing at Dover, was dragged from the church in which he had taken refuge and thrown into prison by the orders of Longchamp. The chancellor's attempt to explain and justify his conduct called forth from Lucy a letter addressed to the prior and convent of Canterbury expressing his grief and indignation, but declining to give them any advice until he had taken counsel with his brother prelates (ib. i. 506; Epp. Cant. p. 345). In the struggle which ensued between Longchamp and John, Lucy took a leading part on the king's side, attending the meetings of the barons and ecclesiastics summoned at Marlborough, Loddon Bridge, and finally, 8 Oct., at St. Paul's. He was one of the four bishops, St. Hugh of Lincoln being another, deputed by the assembly to communicate to Longchamp, who had thrown himself into the Tower, their resolution that he must resign; and on Longchamp's deposition, Lucy was reinstated in the custody of the castles of which Longchamp had deprived him (, p. 39; p. 395;, iii. 145; , ii. 218). In the ‘cross-fire’ of anathemas which followed he was excommunicated by the pope, in company with John and the chief enemies of Longchamp (, iii. 153). Detention in London on the king's business prevented his taking any part in the election of Reginald, bishop of Bath and Wells, 27 Nov. 1191, to the see of Canterbury, which he only held twenty-nine days (, p. 45). In February 1194 he joined with Archbishop Hubert, St. Hugh of Lincoln, and other leading prelates in pronouncing excommunication on John (, iii. 237).

Immediately after Richard's arrival at Winchester on his return from captivity, 15 April 1194, he once more deprived Lucy of the custody of the castles, the sheriff-