353 PAPAL LEGATES CHECKED IN ENGLAND. So Siricius and his successors constituted the bishops of Thessalo- nica to be their vicars in the diocese of Illyricum, wherein, being then a member of the western empire, they had caught [seized on] a special jurisdiction; to which Pope Leo referred in these words, which sometimes are impertinently alleged with reference to all bishops, but concern only Anastasius, bishop of Thessalonica: "We have intrusted thy charity to be in our stead; so that thou art called into part of the solicitude, notinto plenitude of the authority."1 So Pope Zosimus bestowed a like pretence of vicarious power upon the bishop of Arles; which city was the seat of the temporal exarch in Gaul.' So to the bishop of Justiniana Prima in Bulgaria (or Dardania Europcea) the like privilege was granted, by procurement of the Emperor Justinian, a native of that place. Afterwards, temporary or occasional vicars were appointed, such as Austin in England, Boniface in Germany, who in virtue of that con- cession usurped a paramount authority, and by the exercise thereof advanced the papal interest, depressing the authority of metropoli- tans and provincial synods. So at length legates, upon occasion despatched into all countries of the west, came to do there what theypleased, using that pretence to oppress and abuse both clergy and people very intolerably. Whence divers countries were forced to make legal provision for excluding such legates,' finding by much experience that their busi- ness was to rant and domineer in the pope's name, to suck money from the people, and to maintain luxurious pomp upon expense of the countries where they came.' Of this John XXIL sorely complains, and decrees that all people should admit his legates, under pain of interdicts.' In England, Pope Paschal finds the same fault in his letter to King Henry I.: " Nuncios, or letters from the apostolic see, unless by your majesty's command, are not thought worthy any admittance or reception within your jurisdiction; none complains thence, none appeals thence for judgment to the apostolic see."' ' Vices enim nostras ita tuæ credidimus charitati, ut in partem sis vocatus solicitu- dinis, non inplenitudinem potestatis. P. Leo, Ep. lxxxiv., ad Angstas. Thessal. 2 P. Joh. VIII., Ep. xciii. S P. Pasch. II. Epist. apud Eadm., p. 113, &c. 4 Occulti inimici regni.Matt. Paris, p. 524. [That is, these legates were held, ac- cording to Matthew Paris, to be "secret enemies of the kingdom." This judgment is confirmedby all contemporaryhistorians. Alexander II., king of Scotland, prohibited the legate of the pope in his day from entering into his kingdom. Matt. Paris, p. 446; Hailes' Annals of Scotland, vol. i. pp. 188, 189; Tytler's Hist. of Scotland, vol. i., Ap- pendix..En.] 5 Extray. commun. i. 1, p. 310. 6 Sedis apostolicre nuncii vel Merle ¡meter jussum regiæ majestatis nullum in potes- tate tua susceptionem aut aditum promerentur, nullus inde clamor, nullum judicium ad sedem apostolicam destinantur. P. Pasch. II., Eadm., p. 113.
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