Page:The history of medieval Europe.djvu/508

 458 THE HISTORY OF MEDIEVAL EUROPE the early part of John's reign by Hubert Walter, a faithful servant of the Crown. Thomas Becket had resigned his position as chancellor when he was made archbishop and had henceforth served the Church solely and had opposed the king at every turn. But Hubert served as justiciar undei Richard and as chancellor under John at the same time thai he was archbishop. The cathedral chapter at Canterbury composed of monks, had recently had a hotly fought dispute with their archbishop because Hubert's predecessor hac instituted a community of secular canons in another churcl near by. The case had gone to the papal court and was finally settled in 1201 by a compromise. Now, when Huben died in 1205, the youngerjnonks met secretly, elected theij sub-prior, Reginald, and dispatched him with equal secreqj to Rome to secure papal consecration. As he passed througl; Flanders, however, he let it be known that he had beeii elected, and this news soon reached England. The othe! bishops were indignant because they claimed a voice in th< selection of their archbishop, and they sent an embassy t< Innocent to complain. Meanwhile the monks seem to hav regretted their hasty action in choosing Reginald; at an; rate, they now agreed upon the king's candidate, the Bishoj of Norwich. After a year of deliberation Innocent annulle< the election of Reginald on the ground that the procedur had been illegal, and denied the other bishops any share h the election, but he also set aside the election of the Bisho] of Norwich and instead had those monks of Canterbur who were present at Rome elect a candidate of his own This was Stephen Langton, a noted scholar of English birth though for many years he had been at the University c Paris and at the papal court. John's rage at this rejection of his candidate was un bounded. He refused to receive Langton and drove th John is monks of Canterbury into exile. Innocent re become the plied by putting England under an interdict i pope's vassal I2 o8 and by excommunicating John the nex year. Meanwhile John persecuted the clergy, confiscate church property, and instituted a reign of tyranny an