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140 SCOTTISH ANNALS
in church discipline, and to be fittingly adorned with holy
customs, and altogether worthy of episcopal office. And we
beg of your venerable Excellency with humble hearts that
both their
by your Highness 's devout will and authority
request (a worthy one before God) and the concession of our
humility in a matter so necessary to the church of God may
be approved.
" May almighty God deign to preserve your Highness
in safety for long time, for his honour and the defence of his
church ; and after your temporal reign to honour you with
the rank of an eternal kingdom. Amen."
The king's answer to this :
" Henry, king of the English, to Ralph, archbishop of
Canterbury, greeting.
"
I will and permit that thou grant in freedom to the king
of Scotland the monk concerning whom he has besought thee,
after the custom of his land, in the bishopric of St. Andrews.
"Witness Evera[r]d of Came, at Rouen."
After this, father Ralph sent that brother, as he thought
behooved him, to the king of Scotland, writing to the king in
this wise :
" To his dear lord and intimate friend, Alexander, by
God's grace king of the Scots, brother Ralph, unworthy
minister of the church of Canterbury, greeting ; and, with
prayers, faithful services to the extent of his power.
" We give unnumbered thanks to God, who has dispelled
the mists and opened the eyes of your mind to know and to
seek that which was your duty. And none the less thanks
to you all, in that you have by your righteous requests ren-
dered us the most friendly to you of your friends, and of
your intimates the most intimate and the closest. For al-
though in these requests you seek to tear from our body as
it were an eye or a right hand, yet I have to praise your just
desire, and comply with it, God granting, in so far as I can.
Willingly, indeed, and, if it may be said without offence
to God or to you, unwillingly, I concede to your good desire :
willingly, because I dare not oppose God's .will, which I see
present and auspicious in this transaction, nor to embitter
your heart against us but ; unwillingly, because in my weakness
and age, left as it were alone, I am deprived both of the
consolation and persistent support of a father and of the
counsel and aid of a wise son. A wise man's counsel ! Would
that you did not despoil us of it ! But seeing that you do
despoil us, would that you may endeavour that your country