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LANGTON  . declared both elections void; and with John's consent ordered that a new election should be made in his presence by the representatives of the monks . The latter, having confessed that they had given John a secret pledge to elect none but the bishop of Norwich, were released from the promise by Innocent; and at his suggestion elected Stephen Langton, who was consecrated by the pope on the 17th of June 1207 . On hearing the news the king banished the monks of Canterbury and lodged a protest with the pope, in which he threatened to prevent any English appeals from being brought to Rome . Innocent replied by laying England under an interdict (March 1208), and ex-communicating the king (November 1209) . As John still remained obstinate, the pope at length invited the French king Philip Augustus to enter England and depose him . It was this threat which forced John to sue for a reconciliation; and the first condition exacted was that he should acknowledge Langton as archbishop . During these years Langton had been residing at Pontigny, formerly the refuge of Becket . He had addressed to the English people a dignified protest against the king's conduct, and had at last pressed the pope to take extreme measures . But he had consistently adopted towards John as conciliatory an attitude as his duty to the church would allow, and had more than once entered upon negotiations for a peaceful compromise . Immediately after entering England (July 1213) he showed his desire for peace by absolving the king . But, unlike the pope, he gave ear to the popular cry for redress of political grievances; and persisted in associating with the baronial opposition, even after he was ordered by Innocent to excommunicate them as disturbers of the peace .

Langton encouraged the barons to formulate their demands, and is said to have suggested that they should take their stand upon the

charter of Henry I . It is uncertain what further share he took in drafting Magna Carta . At Runnymede he appeared as a commissioner on the king's side, and his influence must therefore be sought in those clauses of the Charter which differ from the original petitions of the barons . Of these the most striking is that which confirms the " liberties " of the church; and this is chiefly remarkable for its moderation . Soon after the issue of the charter the archbishop left England to attend the Fourth Lateran Council . At the moment of his departure he was suspended by the representatives of Innocent for not enforcing the papal censures against the barons . Innocent confirmed the sentence, which remained in force for two years . During this time the archbishop resided at Rome . He was allowed to return in 1218, after the deaths of Innocent and John . From that date till his death he was a tower of strength to the royal party . Through his influence Pandulf was recalled to Rome (1221) and Honorius III. promised that no legate should be sent to reside in England during the archbishop's lifetime . In 1222, in a synod held at Oseney, he promulgated a set of Constitutions still recognized as forming a part of the law of the English Church .

Beyond this little is recorded of his latter years . He died on the 9th of July 1228, and was buried in Canterbury

Cathedral, where his tomb, unless tradition errs, may still be seen . The authorities are mainly those for the reign of John . No con-temporary biography has come down to us . Some letters, by Langton and others, relating to the quarrel over his election are preserved in a Canterbury Chronicle (ed . W . Stubbs in the " Rolls" edition of Gervase of Canterbury, vol. ii.) . There are many references to him in the correspondence of Innocent III . (Migne's Patrologia Latina, vols. ccxiv.-ccxvii.) . Of modern works see F . Hurter, Geschichte Papst Innocenz III . (Hamburg, 1841—1844) ; W .

F .

Hook, Lives of the Arch-bishops of Canterbury (London, 186o-1876), and W . Stubbs's preface to the second volume of Walter of Coventry (" Rolls " ed.), which de-votes special attention to Langton . The MSS. of Langton's writings are noticed in J . Bale's Index Britanniae scriptorum (ed . R . L . Poole, 1902); his Constitutions are printed in D . Wilkin's Concilia, vol. ii . (London, 1737) . (H . W .

C . D.) Another English

prelate who bore the name of Langton was THOMAS LANGTON, bishop of Winchester, chaplain to Edward IV . In 1483 he was chosen bishop of St Davids; in 1485 he was made bishop of Salisbury and provost of Queen's College, Oxford, and he became bishop of Winchester in 1493 . In 1501 he was elected arch-bishop of Canterbury, but he died on the 27th of January 1505, before his election had been confirmed .