york00orns

CONFLICT BETWEEN YORK AND CANTERBURY. 133
up to that time no saint peculiar to itself, the chapter
were very desirous to obtain his canonisation. A good
deal of delay took place, but it was procured at last
through the powerful intervention of Anthony Bee,
the great bishop of Durham, and his remains were
translated to a shrine of befitting splendour, which
probably stood behind the high altar of the choir.
[a.d. 1154.] St. William was succeeded by Roger
de Pont L'Eveque. He was an able man, and took
an active and energetic part in the politics of his
time. The interest of the ecclesiastical history of
this period centres in the strife between Henry 11.
and Thomas h Becket, a struggle which raged with the
utmost bitterness for several years. In this Archbishop
Roger took the king's side. The end of it is
too well known to need a detail here. Becket's partisans
never ceased to charge Archbishop Roger with
having been one of the main causes of the misfortunes
of the martyred primate.
The old conflict between the two Archbishops was
revived at a synod held at Westminster, in 1 175, by
Becket's successor. The Archbishop of York was not
present, but claims were made by some of his clerks
on his behalf. They asserted his right to bear his
cross erect within the province of Canterbury and to
have spiritual control over the sees of Lincoln, Lichfield,
Worcester, and Hereford. An appeal was made
to Rome on the subject, as also with reference to the
primate of Canterbury's excommunication of the
officers of St. Oswald's church at Gloucester. This
was taken off and the other points deferred.
In the
following year the question of place and dignity