XVIII ORIGIN OF SCOTTISH FREE BURGHS 343 The toft comprised a house, with the occasional addition of a croft of land, and the object of these gifts was to enable the bishops, especially when they were chancellors, or court officials, to accompany the sovereign in his frequent changes of residence.1 1 Innes, Sketches of Early Scotch History, p. 35. CHAPTER XIX ALEXANDER II., 1214-1249 Scotland interdicted-Three Scottish bishops at fourth Lateran Council-Later accusations against them-Murder of Adam, bishop of Caithness-First provincial council without a legate Visit of legate Otho-Provincial councils in Edinburgh and Perth More monastic houses-Dominicans and Franciscans introduced-Bishops Malvoisin and De Bernham of St. Andrews, Gilbert of Caithness, Clement of Dunblane, Bondington of Glasgow, and Andrew of Moray. ALEXANDER II. (1214-1249) became king at the age of seventeen. He sided with the English barons in their struggle against king John, and was in consequence excommunicated by the papal legate Gualo. In January 1217, the pope admonished Alexander to respect the tender age of the English king Henry, who succeeded John in 1216 (Alexander himself was barely twenty at this date), to perform the fealty he owed to Henry as his natural lord, and to withdraw from the conspiracy he had formed with king Louis of France. The Scottish king adhered to the alliance with France, and for a whole year, from February 1217 to 1218, the country was laid under interdict in the manner already described, except that on this occasion the legate inhibited the Cistercians from their ministry of mercy, which they had been privileged to exercise during previous interdicts.1 When Louis made 1 Spottiswoode's History, i. 84; Theiner's Monumenta, p. 2. CHAP. XIX SCOTLAND INTERDICTED 345 peace with England, Scotland was included in the treaty, and the country was relieved from ecclesiastical censures. The prior of Durham and the dean of York then "made a progress from Berwick to Aberdeen," absolving the nation from Gualo's curse, and mulcting the parish priests of much money. The prior of Durham, on his way home, was burned to death while sleeping in the abbey of Lindores, the fire being caused through the drunkenness of his chamberlain. Gualo was also much blamed for his extortions on this occasion, and, on remonstrance made by the Scottish prelates to the pope, his holiness caused the avaricious legate to disgorge half of the gains which he then appropriated for himself.1 In 1221, after the treaty of peace, Alexander married Joan, sister of Henry III. of England. In the year 1215, Pope Innocent III. summoned the fourth Lateran Council. It was attended by four hundred and twelve bishops, by eight hundred abbots and priors, besides procurators of absent prelates. From Scotland there were present, William Malvoisin, bishop of St. Andrews, Walter, bishop of Glasgow, Bricius, bishop of Moray, and Henry, abbot of Kelso. The other prelates were represented by deputies. The objects of the council were the promotion of a crusade to recover the Holy Land, and the reformation of ecclesiastical discipline. It projected a crusade nearer home, against the Waldensians and Albigensians, for their reputed heresies. Auricular confession was enjoined, and an Easter communion made obligatory on the laity. The doctrine of Transubstantiation, though not in its final form, was adopted, but the cup was not withdrawn from the laity until the Council of Constance in 1415, two hundred years afterwards. 1 Spottiswoode's History, i. 86. |