LAMBETH PALACE 



buildings could no longer be delayed, seized the opportunity to 

 begin rebuilding, but wisely decided to do so elsewhere. He 

 effected an exchange with the See of Rochester, and secured a 

 piece of land on the Thames, near London, and with the con- 

 currence of King Richard, the Bishops, and Barons, laid the founda- 

 tion of the collegiate buildings at Lambeth, and for their construc- 

 tion he moved thither, by water, all the building materials he 

 had collected at Harlingden. But the energetic prelate did not 

 see his work completed, for he died in Palestine at the Siege of 

 Acre. 



It thus fell to Archbishop Hubert Walter to carry out his pre- 

 decessor's plans. To do so he made further exchange of land with 

 Rochester, and in 1197 he and his successors were confirmed in the 

 possession of the entire demesne by Richard I. But the monks, 

 still jealous and discontented, and rejecting the friendly and 

 advantageous overtures of the Primate, sent to Rome two of their 

 number, who succeeded in obtaining a Bull from Innocent III., 

 couched in arrogant and unreasonable terms. These were that 

 the newly-built chapel on the banks of the Thames was to be 

 demolished, as in Baldwin's time the dhapel at Harlingden had 

 been, and the canons were to be ejected within thirty days ; 

 failing which the province of Canterbury was to disown the Arch- 

 bishop as its Metropolitan, and he himself was to be suspended 

 from office. 



So the quarrel dragged on, until in 1202 the matter, still under 

 dispute, was subjected to arbitration, the decision being that after 

 the destruction of the recently created chapel, Walter was to be 

 permitted to build an ordinary church upon its site, to place therein 

 a limited number of canons, and to endow them with one hundred 

 pounds per annum. This was only on condition that no bishops 

 were consecrated there, no councils held, no abbots admitted, and 

 no orders conferred, and, naturally, the Archbishop declined to 

 build upon such terms. 



However, says Dr. Ducarel, " these disputes between the Arch- 

 bishop and monks of Canterbury proved of infinite advantage 

 to this place, since they brought and fixed the Archbishops of 

 Canterbury at Lambeth, who have ever since honoured that town 

 with their palace and chief residence." 



Archbishop Hubert Walter, and his successor, Stephen Langton,. 



31 



