1171. King Louis writes to Lodvis konung. Prófast þeim, sem var von, at ólíkr var hann Heinreki konungi, því at yfir lífláte Thóme erkibyskups hefir Frakka konungr tárligan harm ok trega. Ok hann skrifar með þeim til herra páfans þat brèf, er svo byrjar : KAP. LXXXIII. BREF FRAKKA KONUNGS.1 Hinum helgasta feðr ok æzta2 byskupi Alexandro the Pope. páfa sendir kveðju Lofvis konungr af Franz. Sá son 3 6 9 5 er saurgar mæðr3 sína svívirðir mjök manneskjuna, ok 10 brýtr lögmálit hæðilega, úminnigr velgernings várs Lausnara. Aumr er sá maðr, er sèr lætr 7 öngrar 8 hrygðar fá, hverja skamm eðr skaða sem fær heilög kristni í frammhleypi 10 Guðs óvina. Nú, ef öllum kristnum mönnum 11 er rèttliga grátandi harmr kristn- 15 innar, kallar sú skylda myklu hærra 12 til yðar 13 enn nokkurs annars. Nú er nýjung 14 grimmleiks 15 ok ofse údæma 16 inn leidd, því at nú hefir aumlig 17 upp risit ok dauðlig 18 illska 19 móti ástvinum Guðs, ok sverði lagt í sjáldr Krists, slökkvandi ljós ok lampa 20 Englands kristni, svo mjög 20 ljótliga sem grimmliga.21 Hvert kallar þetta et meinlausa blóð til hegningar, utan upp á yor? því vaknið við, heilagr faðir, ok upp men wended their way into France to have a meeting with king Louis; and, as might be looked for, he proveth himself to them right unlike unto king Henry, for the king of the French falleth into tearful grief and sorrow at the death of archbishop Thomas, and writeth with them a letter to the lord pope which beginneth thus: CHAP. LXXXIII. THE LETTER OF THE KING OF THE FRENCH. To the holiest father and highest bishop, Alexander, Louis the king of the French, sendeth greeting. He who defileth his mother shameth sorely humanity, and breaketh the law mockingly, forgetful of the benefits of our Saviour. And wretched, in sooth, is the man who is not moved to sorrow at any shame or hurt which the insolence of God's enemies bringeth upon the holy church. Now if all men have a rightful cause to grieve for the affliction of the church, the duty so to do calleth louder to you than to anyone else. Now a novel cruelty and insolence unexampled has been brought about, for now a wretched and deadly wickedness hath been raised up against God's own beloved, the sword having been thrust into the very pupil of Christ's own eye, slaking the light and lamp of England's church in a fell no less than a cruel manner. Unto whom crieth this innocent blood for revenge, but to you? Awake, therefore, holy father, and arise in just chastisement. Draw from the 1171. The archbishop of 4 rísit til rèttrar1 refsingar. Dragit or sliðrum sverðit Margir höfðingjar í Franz skrifuðu til herra páfans, þótt þar af sè fáir nefndir. Enn þat er ljóst af 10 letrum, at næst 10 Frakka konungi skrifar Vilhjálmr erkibyskup af Sainz ok Theoballdus af Blesis, er fyr var nefndr. Erkibyskups brèf hefir þat form, sem hèr 11 má heyra: 12 Alexandró, Guðs vin, hinum æzta 13 byskupi sendir 15 Sens writes kveðju Vilhjálmr, lágr þjónn Sennonis kristni, með to the Pope. góðfúsri hlýðni. Yövarri postoligri tign er handfengið vald á himni ok jörðu,14 ok yðr í hendi leikr tvíeggjat sverð til heilagrar hegningar, yfirsettr allar þjóðir ok ríki, svá at þèr megið konunga í fjötri læsa,15 20 · ok ríkismenn í rekendur keyra.16 því er yðr álítanda, hversu víngarðrinn Guðs er nú geymdr, nær 17 því sem Davíð sagði, því at göltr 18 af skógi ok önnur 19 villisvín hafa hann biti,20 ok etið Kantarabyrgis kristni, ok enn heldr almennilig 21 móðir sitr ok drýpr með hörm- 25 ung 22 ok gráti, fellir tár blóði blandat í yðru augliti, sheath the sword of the holy Peter, and march forward dealing blows of revenge for such a holy man; for his blood and death cry aloud throughout all christendom. Now the men who carry this letter, and have had to forego their ruler in such a sorrowful manner, may set forth to you in all fulness the whole manner and matter of these great tidings, and we pray that you believe in their words as in our own. Valete. Many lords in France wrote to the lord pope, although few of them are named by name. But books on the subject make it clear, that next to the king of the French writeth William, archbishop of Sens, as well as Theobald of Blois, who has been mentioned before. The archbishop's letter was framed in the form that here may be heard: To Alexander, God's beloved, the chief among bishops, William, humble servant of the church of Sens, in Into the hands devoted obedience, sendeth greeting. of your apostolic highness is delivered power in heaven and on earth, and in your hand playeth a two-edged sword for holy chastisement, you being set over all nations and kingdoms, for the purpose of clasping kings in fetters, and putting in chains the mighty ones. It behoveth you, therefore, to consider, how the guarding of God's vineyard now accordeth with the words of David, inasmuch as the boar from the wood and other wild swine have eaten it up, and devoured the church of Canterbury; aye, and still more, the catholic church sitteth drooping in affliction and weeping, shedding tears blended with blood before your face; and is set up like K 541. B 1171. 1 13 4 6 og er svá sett sem teinn í bakka ok höfð at skot- |