'þa halgan canones' - Abbo was very interested in canon law and and compiled a Collectio canonum. As his pastoral letters show, Ælfric shared this interest. The prohibition of priests and bishops pronouncing a sentence that involves bloodshed goes back to seventh-century church councils, and is quoted by Ælfric in his letter to Wulfstan, non est episcopus constitutus ad hoc ut sit iudex furum aut latrones ('a bishop is not consecrated to be a judge of thieves and robbers').