among whom were the bishops, should
furnish three hundred knights to the king, which knights should serve
for a year without furlough. The Bishop of Lincoln's consent was asked,
and he made no reply at first, but turned it over in his mind. The
archbishop, of course, spoke for the motion. Richard FitzNigel, Bishop
of London, a man of finance, purchase, and political sagacity, one of
the historians of the time, assured them that he and his would try every
fetch to relieve the royal need. This brought up Hugh in an instant.
"You, wise and noble gentlemen here before me, know that I am a stranger
in this country of yours and was raised to a bishop's office from a
simple hermit life. So when the Church of my Lady Mary the Holy Mother
of God was handed over to my inexperience to rule I applied myself to
explore its customs, dignities, dues, and burdens. For near thirteen
years, up till now, I have not trod out of the straight tracks of my
forerunners. I know the Lincoln Church is bound to furnish military
service for the King, but only in this country. Beyond the bounds of
England none such is due from her. Hence I think it would be wiser for
me to foot it back to my native soil and till the wilderness in my
wonted way, rather than bear a bishopric here, lose the ancient
immunities of the Church entrusted to me, and subject her to
unprecedented vexations." This answer the archbishop took very ill. His
voice choked, his lips quivered. He took up the tale, however, without
comment, and asked Herbert le Poor, Bishop of Salisbury, the very man
who, as Archdeacon of Canterbury, had been snubbed for simony at Hugh's
installation, and who might be expected to render a public nothing now
for his then empty hand. But he had learnt something since that day, and
he replied curtly that he could give no other answer than that of my
lord of Lincoln, unless it were to the enormous prejudice of his Church.
Then the archbishop blazed into fury. He loosed many a bitter shaft
against Bishop Hugh. He broke up the assembly and told the king who it
was had made the whole matter to miscarry. Two and even three postmen
were sent off to lash the Lion into frenzy, and Richard ordered all that
the bishop had to be confiscated as soon as possible. Herbert, the
seconder, had the same sentence, and was soon Poor in estate as well as
name, and only got peace and possession back after injuries, losses,
vexings, and many insults. But no man laid a finger even