[Sidenote: _Wil. Malm._] In this meane time, the king had seized into his hands the possessions of the archbishop of Canturburie, and banished Anselme, so that he staied at Lions in France for the space of one yeare and foure moneths, during which time there passed manie letters and messages to and fro. [Sidenote: The pope writeth courteouslie to the king.] The pope also wrote to king Henrie in verie courteous maner, exhorting him to call Anselme home againe, and to release his claime to the inuestitures of bishops, wherevnto he could haue no right, sith it apperteined not to the office of any temporall magistrate: adding furthermore, if the king would giue ouer that vngodlie and vsurped custome, that he would shew such fréendlie fauour in all things, as by the sufferance of God in any wise he might be able to performe, and further would receiue not onelie him, but also his yoong soone William (whom latelie it had pleased God to send him by his vertuous wife queene Maud) into his protection, so that who so euer did hurt either of them, should be thought to hurt the holie church of Rome. In one of the letters which the said pope wrote vnto Anselme (after that the king was contented to renounce the inuestitures aforesaid) he willed Anselme, according to the promise which he had made, to assoile as well from sinne as from penance due for the same, both the king and his wife queene Maud, with all such persons of honour as in this behalfe had trauelled with the king to induce him to be agréeable to his purpose. [Sidenote: 1104.] [Sidenote: The earle of Mellent.] [Sidenote: An. Reg. 4.] Moreouer, the earle of Mellent, and Richard de Riuers (who had counselled the king to stand stoutlie in the matter, and not to giue ouer his title of such inuestitures, sith his ancestors had vsed them so long a time before his daies, by reason whereof, in renouncing his right to the same, he should doo a thing greatlie preiudiciall to his roiall estate and princelie maiestie) were now earnest labourers to agree the king and the pope, [Sidenote: The K. persuaded to renounce his title to the inuestiture of prelates. _Eadmerus._] in so much that in the end the king was persuaded by Anselme and them to let go his hold, resigning the inuestitures with staffe and ring; notwithstanding that, he reserued the right of elections, and such other roialties as otherwise apperteined to his maiestie, so that such bishops as had doone homage to the king, were not disabled thereby, but quietlie permitted to receiue their iurisdictions.