to William Rufus, and has the distinction of being about the only 
good deed of one of the worst kings that ever sat upon the English 
throne. Its important position as a border fortress and the capital 
of a newly-conquered district led to its rapid development. During 
the next reign a noble church was built here by the priest Ethel- 
wald and dedicated in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary. When 
finished the munificent founder offered it to the Augustinian canons, 
then recently introduced into England, built them a monastery, 
and became their first prior. Seeing the importance of the city, 
and that there was no bishop nearer than Durham and York, 
Henry I. erected it into a bishopric. This was in 1133; the 
Episcopal chair was fixed in the church of the Augustinians, and 
their prior, Ethelwald, became the first bishop. These details are 
necessary to explain the unique position which Carlisle held 
amongst the English bishoprics. It was the only cathedral of 
Austin canons in England. ‘The older English cathedrals were 
divided into two classes, the Monastic and the Secular, according 
as they were served by the regular order of monks or by secular 
canons. The distinction disappeared in the changes under 
Henry VIIL., though traces of it still survive in the very different 
constitution of the Chapters of the new and the old foundation. 
Previous to the 12th century the regular cathedrals, the minsters, 
were exclusively in the hands of the Black Monks or Benedictines. 
They had retained many of the bishoprics founded by the early 
apostles of England (who were members of their order) such as 
Winchester, Rochester, Durham, and the Primatial See of Canter- 
bury. The rest of the cathedrals were served by secular canons. 
When Henry IL, therefore, founded his new see at Carlisle and 
gave it to the canons of St. Augustine, it was an innovation but a 
natural one. They were a new order in England, and at that time 
very popular. King Henry had recently endowed convents for 
them in other towns. The monastery and church at Carlisle were 
already in existence, and when the new Cumbrian bishopric was 
fixed in the revived city, and the existing church was chosen as 
the cathedral, it was only right that the honours of the Chapter 
should be conferred on the community to whom the church 
