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 26 MAURICE OF RIEVAULX January given in the register are impossible ; apart from the fact that an archbishop of York and two Cistercian abbots would not have attended a Savigniac chapter, Murdac was not consecrated till 7 December and would not have appointed Turold at Fountains till after that date. Again, we are told that he first appointed Maurice of Rievaulx, 1 and, according to Walter Daniel, Maurice was abbot of Rievaulx from 1145 to 1147, or more precisely for two years after the death of Abbot William in August 1145. 2 Finally Ailred, if Walter's statement is accepted, could not have been elected until the closing months of 1147. His first recorded appear- ance was his co-operation with Bishop William of Durham and others in the inquiry which settled the dispute about the seat of the prior at Durham (30 November 1147). 3 To assume that Serlo's charter belongs to a later date than 1147 is to raise other difficulties and to discredit the Byland narrative unduly. The most likely explanation of the error about the witnesses is that the archbishop, Ailred, and Turold took part in the subsequent deliberations in England regarding the relations between Jervaulx and Byland. II. M.J rater Rievallensis to Archbishop Thomas* Balliol College MS. 65, fo. 48. Amantissimo Domino et Patri T. reuerendo Cant[uarie] archiepi- scopo ille suus pauper et modicus frater M. minimus pauperum Christi de Rieuallfe] totum id, perparum quod est, quod scit quod potest in domino. Quis sum ego uel cuius momenti quern tanti sibi faciat pater iam patris, dominus regni secundus a rege, princeps ecclesiarum Anglie ? Inter priuata regni consilia, publica principum negocia, inter multiplices ecclesiarum occupation es : inter innumeras diuersarum rerum exactiones, uulgi fauores, clamores pauperum, *religiosorum necessitates, et aliorum quorumlibet importunitates. memor es absentis et longe positi pauperis ; nee eum immemorem tui fore permittis. Ernbescam pocius an stupeam nescio : sic est mihi miraculo dignatio tua. Quern enim locum gratie, quod estimationis indicium 5, quantum dulcedinis habeam in corde tuo feruens et humilis litterarum tuarum testatur series, et Dominus H. de morauill sedule deuotionis commendat instantia. Diuertit plusquam xx miliaria de uia sua quatinus indicte sibi legationis formulam non segnius prose- queretur uel minus fideliter quam iussus est. Satis quantum potuit egit pro te, uerbisque suis indubium me fecit fidei simul et spei tue 6 [?]. Verum pace tua loquar, pater mi. Nolo siquidem ueritatis preconem electione sua falli. De me mihi magis crede quam opinioni tue. Ego me intus et in cute noui, cotidiana quasi per speculum probans experientia quale mihi de me testimonium prohibeat conscientia mea, et nimia est duricia quam non docet experientia. Est itaque nimium quod facis. Non enim sum is quern me putas esse. Alium sub nomine meo colis dum me putas 1 See above, p. 18. 2 Jesus College, Cambridge, MS. Q. B. 7, fo. 69. 3 See the original documents edited by Greenwell in the Feodarium Prioratus Dunelmensis, p. lxi (Surtees Soc., 1872). 4 I am indebted to Miss Pogson of the Bodleian Library for the transcript of this letter. The text is occasionally corrupt : I have made a few emendations, giving the manuscript reading in the notes. • MS. iudiciam. 6 This word is partly obliterated in the manuscript.