Great Britain -- History -- Anglo-Saxon period, 449-1066 -- Sources
This year King Henry was at Dunstaple at Christmas, and the messengers
from the Earl of Anjou came to him there, and he proceeded thence to
Woodstock, and his Bishops and all his Court with him. Now it fell out
on a Wednesday, being the 4th of the ides of January, that the King
rode in his deer-park, and Roger Bishop of Salisbury was on one side of
him, and Robert Bloet Bishop of Lincoln on the other; and they rode
there talking. Then the Bishop of Lincoln sank down, and said to the
King, “Lord King! I am dying,”--and the King alighted from his horse,
and took him between his arms, and bade them bear him to his inn,
and he soon lay there dead; and they took his body with much pomp to
Lincoln, and Robert Bishop of Chester, who was called Pecceth, buried
him before St. Mary’s altar. Soon after this the King sent his writs
over all England, and desired his Bishops, his Abbots, and his Thanes,
that they should all come to the meeting of his Witan at Gloucester,
on Candlemas day, and they obeyed; and when they were there assembled
the King bade them choose to themselves whomsoever they would as
Archbishop of Canterbury, and that he would confirm their choice. Then
the Bishops spake among themselves, and said that they would never more
have a man of any monastic order as Archbishop over them. And they
all with one accord went to the King, and entreated that they might
choose one of the clergy for their Archbishop, and to this the King
consented.--All this had been set on foot by the Bishop of Salisbury,
and by the Bishop of Lincoln before he died, for they never loved the
monks’ rules, but were ever against the monks and their rules also.
And the Prior and monks of Canterbury and all others of the monastic
order who were there, resisted this proceeding two full days, but in
vain, for the Bishop of Salisbury was very powerful, and swayed all
England, and he was against them with all his might. Then they chose a
clerk named William of Corboyl, he was a canon of a monastery called
Cice (St. Osith); and they brought him before the King, who gave him
the Archbishoprick, and he was received by all the Bishops; but the
Monks and Earls, and almost all the Thanes who were there, would not
acknowledge him. At this same time the messengers of the Earl departed
from the King dissatisfied, nothing regarding his gifts. At this time
also a Legate arrived from Rome; his name was Henry, and he was Abbot
of the monastery of St. Jean d’Angely. He came for the Romescot; and he
told the King that a clerk had no right to be set over monks, and that
therefore they had formerly chosen the Archbishop in the chapter, as
was befitting; but, for love of the Bishop of Salisbury, the King would
not undo his act. Soon afterwards, the Archbishop went to Canterbury,
and was received, though unwillingly, and he was forthwith consecrated
there by the Bishop of London, and Ernulf Bishop of Rochester, and
William Giffard Bishop of Winchester, and Bernard Bishop of Wales
(St.
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