nd the object of his affections; but his interests, however, must be
regarded as subordinate to those of their heavenly Father, who had now
rejected him, and thrown him into the hands of his enemies; that it
principally belonged to the clergy to elect and ordain kings; he had
summoned them together for that purpose; and having invoked the divine
assistance, he now pronounced Matilda, the only descendant of Henry,
their late sovereign, queen of England. The whole assembly, by their
acclamations or silence, gave or seemed to give, their assent to this
declaration.[*]

The only laymen summoned to this council, which decided the fate of
the crown, were the Londoners; and even these were required not to give
their opinion, but to submit to the decrees of the synod. The deputies
of London, however, were not so passive; they insisted that their king
should be delivered from prison; but were told by the legate, that it
became not the Londoners, who were regarded as noblemen in England,
to take part with those barons who had basely forsaken their lord in
battle, and who had treated holy church with contumely. It is with
reason that the citizens of London assumed so much authority, if it be
true, what is related by Fitz-Stephen, a contemporary author, that
that city should at this time bring into the field no less than eighty
thousand combatants.[**]

[* W. Malms, p. 188. This author, a judicious man,
was present, and says that he was very attentive to what
passed. This speech therefore, may be regarded as entirely
genuine.]

[** Were this account to be depended on, London
must at that time have contained near four hundred thousand
inhabitants, which is above double the number it contained
at the death of Queen Elizabeth. But these loose
calculations, or rather guesses, deserve very little
credit. Peter of Blois, a contemporary writer, and a man of
sense, says there were then only forty thousand inhabitants
in London, which is much more likely. See epist. 151. What
Fitz-Stephen says of the prodigious riches, splendor, and
commerce of London, proves only the great poverty of the
other towns of the kingdoms and indeed of all the northern
parts of Europe.]

London, notwithstanding its great power, and its attachment to Stephen,
was at length obliged to submit to Matilda; and her authority, by the
prudent conduct of Earl Robert, seemed to be establi