Great Britain -- History -- Anglo-Saxon period, 449-1066 -- Sources
“The same year the dissentions were renewed, and the monks plotted the
death of their Abbot, but one of them, named Columban, being taken,
Lanfranc caused him to be brought to him. And as he stood there before
him, Lanfranc asked if he desired to murder his Abbot. And the monk
forthwith replied “Yes! if I could I would certainly kill him.” Then
Lanfranc commanded that he should be tied up naked by the gates of St.
Augustine’s and suffer flagellation before all the people, that his
cowl should then be torn off, and that he should be driven out of the
city. This order was executed, and thenceforth during Lanfranc’s life,
sedition was repressed by the dread of his severity.
“In the 19th year of his prelacy, died the venerable Archbishop
Lanfranc, and he was buried at his metropolitan see of Canterbury, of
which he had been possessed eighteen years, nine months, and two days.
His deeds, his buildings, alms, and labours, are only in part recounted
in the writing which is read on his anniversary, for they were very
numerous. After his death the monks of St. Augustine’s, openly
rebelling against their aforesaid Abbot Wido, stirred up the citizens
of Canterbury, who, with an armed force, attempted to slay him in his
house. But his family made resistance, and when many had been wounded,
and some killed on both sides, the Abbot with much difficulty escaped
unhurt from amongst them, and fled for refuge to the mother church of
Canterbury (Christ Church). On the report of this disturbance Walkelm
Bishop of Winchester, and Gundulf Bishop of Rochester, suffragans to
the see of Canterbury, with some noblemen sent by the King, hastened
to Canterbury, that they might take vengeance on the delinquents; and
when they had enquired into the causes of the sedition and had found
the monks unable to clear themselves, they condemned them to suffer
public punishment because they had transgressed openly. But the prior
and monks of Christ Church, moved with piety, pleaded against this
sentence, lest, if they were to receive their discipline before all
the people, they should henceforth be accounted infamous, and so their
profession and office come to be despised. Wherefore it was granted
on their intercession, that the punishment should take place in the
church, into which the populace should not be admitted, but those only
who were appointed to see it executed. And two monks of Christ Church,
Wido and Norman, were called in, and they inflicted the punishment at
the command of the Bishops. Then the rebellious monks were dispersed
into various monasteries of England; and 24 monks of Christ Church were
substituted in their place, together with the prior, named Anthony,
who had been sub-prior at Christ Church. The townsmen who entered the
Abbot’s hall in arms were seized, and those who were convicted of
having struck him lost their eyes.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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