plane.

The time was now coming when Witham had to lose its prior. Geoffrey
(son, not of fair Rosamond, but of Hickenay) had resigned in January,
1182. After sixteen months' hiatus, Walter de Coutances, a courtier, was
elected, ordained, and consecrated, and enthroned December, 1183; but in
fifteen months he was translated to the then central See of Rouen and
the wretched diocese had another fifteen months without a bishop, during
which time (April 15, 1185, on holy Monday) an earthquake cracked the
cathedral from top to bottom.{2}

In May, 1186, an eight-day council was held at Eynsham, and the king
attended each sitting from his palace at Woodstock. Among other business
done was the election, not very free election, to certain bishoprics and
abbeys. Among the people who served or sauntered about the Court were
the canons of Lincoln, great men of affairs, learned, and so wealthy
that their incomes overtopped any bishop's rent-roll, and indeed they
affected rather to despise bishoprics--until one offered. The See of
Lincoln had been vacant (with one short exception) for nearly eighteen
years. It contained ten of the shires of England--Lincoln, Leicester,
Rutland, Northampton, Huntingdon, Cambridge, Bedford, Buckingham,
Oxford, and Hertford. The canons chose three men, all courtiers, all
rich, and all well beneficed, viz., their dean, Richard Fitz Neal, a
bishop's bastard, who had bought himself into the treasurership; Godfrey
de Lucy, one of their number, an extravagant son of Richard the chief
justice; and thirdly another of themselves, Herbert le Poor, Archdeacon
of Canterbury, a young man of better stuff. But the king declared that
this time he would choose not by favour, blood, counsel, prayer, or
price; but considering the dreadful abuses of the neglected diocese he
wished for a really good bishop, and since the canons could not agree he
pressed home to them the Prior of Witham, the best man and the
best-loved one. With shouts of laughter the canons heard the jest and
mentioned his worship, his habit, and his talk, as detestable; but the
king's eye soon changed their note, and after a little foolishness they
all voted for the royal favourite. The king approves, the nobles and
bishops applaud, my lord of Canterbury confirms, and all seems settled.
The canons rode off to Witham to explain the honours they have
condescended to bestow upon its prior. He heard their tale, read their
letters. Then he astonished their c