while he was still an
occupant of the see that the transfer to Chichester was effected. He
earned the displeasure of the king by refusing to consecrate Gausbert
to the Abbey of Battle unless the monk would come to Chichester for
the ceremony. He had some trouble, too, with his metropolitan,
Lanfranc, on account of a dispute concerning the limits of his
jurisdiction. Certain parishes within the territory of his diocese
were claimed as subject to the more eastern see. The Primate
established his right to these "peculiars," and the right obtained
until the last century, when all such holdings were abolished by law.

#Godfrey# (1087-1088) evidently incurred the displeasure of his
papal superior, as the only known record of his very brief episcopate
is represented by a discovery which was made in 1830 when an
absolution from the Pope, inscribed upon a leaden cross, was dug up in
the paradise close to the south choir aisle.

It was not till three years had elapsed since Godfrey's death that
#Ralph de Luffa# (1091-1123) was consecrated to the vacancy by
Thomas, Archbishop of York. Meanwhile the king enjoyed the
temporalities of the see. In his person we meet a figure of much
importance to the history of the fabric and see, for to his energy and
initiative we owe the greater part of the cathedral building that
remains to-day.

Ralph's activity was not wholly absorbed by his interest in the
architectural idea which he hoped to realise. He spent much time and
care attending to the needs of the churches of which he was the
overseer. He visited them regularly three times in the year for the
purpose of effecting reforms when they were necessary, for teaching,
and for developing the organisation of the diocese as it was affected
by the condition of each parochial unit. Thus by his office and
oversight he was endeavouring to maintain the necessary relations
between the particular churches and their cathedral centre. In defence
of these same members of the local and general ecclesiastical body he
was obliged to resent the attempted interference of two kings of the
realm. Henry I. wished to fill his pockets by imposing fines upon the
clergy. To oppose this the bishop closed all the churches in the
diocese and blocked up the entrances with thorns; and so, except in
the monasteries, the offering of public worship ceased. The
restriction was in time removed, and the king acknowledged the
bishop's plea that he should endeavour to replen