for him. He was allowed to keep his see on giving of an oath of his good faith.

However irregular his election to the bishopric, Geoffrey discovered his new diocese was in very poor condition. For nearly a century the church in the Cotentin had not recovered from destruction at the hands of the Northmen. There was obstinate paganism, few canons, and no books, bibles, or ornamentation. A long line of bishops before him had resided at Rouen or Saint-Lô,