the king at Rouen, arriving there at Christmas, and asked leave to go to Rome. Archbishop Ralph, however, had already talked with the king, and Henry refused to let him go. Conon, the cardinal-bishop of Præneste, was then acting as legate in Normandy, and Henry consulted him as to what should be done, as Ralph refused to consecrate Thurstan without the profession. Conon advised that he should at once be ordained priest, and then sent to Rome for consecration. He received priest's orders from Ranulf Flambard [q. v.], bishop of Durham, at Bayeux, but was not allowed to go to Rome, and after Whitsuntide 1115 returned to England. However, both he and the York chapter sent messengers to the pope requesting that he might be freed from the profession. In a great council held by the king at Michaelmas Thurstan complained of the delay of his consecration, and Henry bade him request Ralph to consecrate him in the presence of competent witnesses. Accordingly, taking with him the archbishop of Rouen, the bishops of Lisieux and Durham, and others, Thurstan made his request to Ralph, who answered that he would do so willingly if he would make the profession, but this Thurstan refused. About that time Ivo, bishop of Chartres, who had a great regard for Thurstan (Ep. 215), wrote to Paschal II, praying him to put an end to the dispute by sanctioning Thurstan's refusal (Ep. 276). In January 1116 Paschal replied to an application from the York chapter confirming their election, forbidding the profession, and ordering that, if Ralph refused to consecrate Thurstan, the rite should be performed by suffragan-bishops of York. When the king heard that the pope's interference had been invoked without his consent, he was very wroth, and at the great council held at Salisbury in March sent the Count of Meulan and others to Thurstan bidding him make the profession. He refused, and was summoned before the king, who told him that he must either obey or resign, whereupon, placing his hand on that of the king, he resigned the archbishopric, declaring that he would never seek it again (Hugh; Eadmer, cols. 496–7; Flor. Wig. sub an.) Nevertheless, he soon repented of his determination, and after Easter accompanied the king to Normandy, repeating his request to be allowed to go to Rome. His resignation, though operative as regards his right to the temporalities, did not annul his election. The king therefore did not order another election, but refused his request; for he knew that if he let him go he would be consecrated by the pope. Thurstan remained with the court in Normandy. He was supported in 1117 by a deputation from the York chapter, and the king, on a renewal of Thurstan's request, replied that he would do nothing until the archbishop of Canterbury should return from Rome, whither he had gone on this matter with the king's consent. Ralph returned without having met with success. The York chapter sent another letter to the pope on Thurstan's behalf, complaining that, through the instrumentality of Ralph and his suffragans, he had been kept in exile from his church for a year and a half. In consequence of this the legate Anselm received a letter from Paschal to the king directing him to restore Thurstan to his church, and promising to adjudicate upon the dispute. Another letter was directed to Ralph, ordering him to consecrate without the profession. Henry restored Thurstan, who returned to York.
Ralph's return, however, was delayed, and in January 1118 Paschal died. The new pope, Gelasius II, was warmly on Thurstan's side. He wrote to Henry bidding him send both Ralph and Thurstan to him, and sent summonses to both of them to come to him. Thurstan was anxious to press his cause, and, as he had not the king's leave to cross the sea, embarked at Dover in disguise, and went to Henry at Rouen about Christmastide. He complained that Ralph was keeping away from England in order to avoid consecrating him. He met Ralph and gave him the pope's letter. Hearing that Gelasius had appointed to meet the French king at Tours, he asked the king to allow him to go thither, and was refused. He obtained the good will of Louis VI, who was ready to take any opportunity of embarrassing Henry. In January 1119 Gelasius died. He was succeeded by Calixtus II, who espoused Thurstan's cause as strongly as his predecessor had done, while Louis and Fulk, count of Anjou, also did what they could for him by refusing to allow Ralph to pass through their dominions to go to the pope. Henry, finding that Thurstan's cause was supported by his enemies, tried in Lent to persuade him to return to England, but he refused; and the king then asked him to promise to go after Easter, but he answered evasively and stayed on in Normandy. The pope summoned him to attend the council to be held at Rheims, and Henry allowed him to go on his promising that he would not on any account receive consecration from the pope (Eadmer, col. 503). He met the pope at Tours on 22 Sept., and in his company visited Blois and Paris, being received cordially by the magnates of France. During the pope's
