ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY all during his last ten years. In 1203 he was sent with Hubert Walter on an embassy to Philip Augustus. In 1205 he was nominated archbishop of Canterbury, but his election was quashed by the pope, and Stephen Langton was appointed in his room. This was the first occasion of the long quarrel between King John and Innocent III. Next year he acted as justiciar in the King's Court. In 1208 he was sent to Ireland, where as deputy or justiciar he exhibited very great activity in more ways than one, and he remained there till 12 1 3, when he was sent as envoy to the pope who (possibly to make him some amends for his rejection from the primacy nine years before) nominated him to succeed to the vacant bishopric of Durham, but he died on his way home at St. Jean I'Andelys on 14 October, 12 14, and was buried in the presbytery of Norwich Cathedral next to the resting-place of Bishop William Turbe.' The most prominent personages in the diocese during the frequent and protracted absences of Bishop John de Grey, and the men to whom the working of the diocese was practically surrendered, were Geoffrey de Burgh, archdeacon of Norwich, a brother of the famous justiciar Hubert de Burgh, and Adam de Walpole, who appears to have acted as vicar-general of the diocese after the death of Bishop John of Oxford, and subsequently received the archdeaconry of Suffolk. Of anything like religious activity, culture, devotion, or zeal in the county we hear scarcely a word. Four little Augustinian priories appear to have been founded during these dreary fifteen years, which were practically useless.' One Premonstratensian abbey however was founded at West Dereham, by Hubert Walter the primate, which grew into a wealthy house in later times. The bishopric of Norwich had been vacant eight months, and the question was hotly debated, not so much as to who should succeed but as to who was to nominate and elect the successor. The result was, as usual, a compromise. In August, 12 15, we find that Pandulf, the papal nuncio, was already spoken of as bishop-elect of Norwich. It is clear that the Norwich priory was allowed technically to be consulted as to the candidate they were supposed to nominate. Pandulf was a Roman born," and at the time that he appears first in history he figures as a clerk in the papal court and familiaris of Innocent II. He was only in minor orders, a sub-deacon, and, during all the years that he spent in England as nuncio and papal legate, he never thought it worth his while to be advanced even to the priesthood. I cannot find that he was ever seen in his diocese, and he refrained from being consecrated lest he should, by entering upon the episcopate, become in any way subject to the authority of Stephen Langton the primate.* Hence he is spoken of invariably as bishop-elect of Norwich only. I cannot find that the estates of the bishopric were handed over to him, though he managed, under the sanction of the pope, to levy heavy taxes upon the beneficed clergy of the diocese and held preferment in other dioceses than his own. He seems to have been in debt at times, but if the character for rapacity which his ' Anthony Bek's Book (MS.) in the Archives of Lincoln Cathedral.
- Beeston and Weybourne on the north coast of the county, St. Mary de Pratis at North Creak, and
Mount Joy Priory at Haveringland. ' He is commonly but erroneously styled Pandulf Masca. Prof. Tout, in the Diet. Nal. Biog.
- Cal. of Papal Letters, i, 58.
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