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jurisdiction over a portion of the country, from Norwich down to Sussex,
and from Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire eastward to the coast.

On the 9th of July 1189, King Henry died, and was succeeded by his third
son, Richard: John of Oxford assisting at the coronation. Richard had
no sooner been crowned than he led the crusade to the Holy Land, which
had been preparing in Henry's time, and John of Oxford was forced to
proceed to the Pope to ask for his absolution of the oath he had taken
to follow the Cross, on account of his old age and infirmity. This
request being granted, for which he had to pay 10,000 marks, he returned
to England.

The last public act of John of Oxford--who was one of the most
remarkable men who have held the see of Norwich--was most probably his
attendance at the coronation of King John. He died June 2, 1200.

#John de Grey# (1200-1214) was elected by the monks, and his election
being confirmed by King John, he was consecrated by Hubert, Archbishop
of Canterbury. It was during his episcopate, and through the quarrel
between King John and the Pope, that the power of the latter was at
length firmly established--a supremacy that was unquestioned until the
sixteenth century.

The metropolitan see of Canterbury fell vacant in 1205; the sub-prior,
who was surreptitiously elected by the monks, and unknown to the king,
travelled to Rome for the Pope's sanction of his appointment. When the
king became aware of this he was enraged, and despatched an embassy
upholding his nominee, John de Grey. The Pope pleased neither party, and
named Stephen Langton as Hubert's successor. The Pope, Innocent, sent
two legates, of whom Pandulph was one, in 1211 to England, and on John
declining to recognise the Papal claims, he was deposed, and his crown
offered to the French king Philip.

The country had been placed under an interdict, and most of the bishops
had left the country. John de Grey remained faithful to the king, and
actually invaded France with a small force to attack the invading
Philip, but soon was forced to retreat. In the end, John submitted,
resigned his crown, which was restored to him, and was compelled to pay
to the Church as damages 40,000 marks. John de Grey, who had been sent
to Rome to arrange this, died on the return journey at S. Jean d'Angelo,
near Poictiers, 18th October 1214.

#Pandulph Masca# (1222-1226) was consecrated Bishop of Norwich by
Honorius, 29th May 1222. He is supposed