Page:The reign of William Rufus and the accession of Henry the First.djvu/155

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perfectly well in the place and company in which they were now sitting. There was no need to rise; let the Bishop of Durham and his men go out, and the rest of the Court, clergy and laity alike, would judge what was right to be done. The Bishop warned the Court to act according to the canons, and to let no one judge who might not canonically judge a bishop. Lanfranc calmly, but vaguely, assured him that justice would be done. Hugh of Beaumont told him more plainly, "If I may not to-day judge you and your order, you and your order shall never afterwards judge me." With one more protest, one more declaration that he would disown any judgement which was not strictly canonical, Bishop William and his followers left the hall of meeting.

Our only narrative of these debates, the narrative of Bishop William himself or of some one writing under his inspiration, complains of the long delay before the Bishop was allowed to come back, and gives a description, one which reads like satire, of the assembly which stayed to debate the preliminary point of law. There was the King, with the bishops and earls, the sheriffs and the lesser reeves, with the King's huntsmen and other officials. The great officers of state, Justiciar, Chancellor,