with Prior Hotoun in his dispute. The bishop, calling the monks
together, ordered them to elect a new prior, which they promptly refused
to do. On this the bishop appointed Henry de Luceby of Holy Island to be
prior of Durham, and brought men from Weardale and Tynedale to expel the
old prior. They laid siege to the convent, and for three days Prior
Hotoun and forty-six monks were shut up with only six loaves and sixteen
herrings. They continued the services however. On the third day a
Tynedale man was sent to pull the prior out of his stall, but was so
awed by his venerable appearance that he dared not touch him. A monk on
the bishop's side, however, did the work. Prior Luceby was installed,
and Prior Richard seized and imprisoned. He soon escaped, however, and
carried his complaint before Parliament, and afterwards to the Pope,
Boniface VIII. The Pope decided in his favour, and Hotoun returned to
Durham, and Luceby and his friends were obliged to go, though they
tried, when doing so, to carry off some silver plate and other
valuables. Bek continued in great splendour until his death in 1310.
When he died he was king of the Isle of Man, Patriarch of Jerusalem,
Bishop of Durham, and Prince Palatine.

#Richard de Kellaw# (1311-1316), formerly a monk of Durham, succeeded
Bek. He was a good and learned man, and lived in harmony with the monks.

#Louis de Beaumont# (1318-1333) was next appointed bishop, after
great competition and intrigue. He was chosen in opposition to the
wishes of the chapter, who had elected Stamford, Prior of Finchale, to
succeed Kellaw. On his way to Durham for consecration and enthronement,
accompanied by two cardinals and a large retinue, he was waylaid at
Rushyford by a band of ruffians under Gilbert Middleton. They plundered
the cardinals, but carried the bishop a prisoner to Mitford Castle. His
release was only secured on payment by the monastery of a heavy ransom.
He was an ignorant man, and so innocent of Latin that he could not read
his profession of obedience, being continually prompted. Later, at an
ordination, he stumbled over the words "_in oenigmate_" and cried in
French, "_Par Seynt Lewis, il ne fuit pas curtays qui cest parole ici
escrit._" "By Saint Lewis he was no gentleman who wrote this word."

#Richard de Bury# (1333-1345), who succeeded, was a great scholar,
tutor to Edward III., and author of "Philobiblon," a book still extant.
He was a good man, and very kind to the poor.

#