[956]. On this point Beda speaks most explicitly: “Sunt loca innumera, ut novimus omnes, in monasteriorum ascripto vocabulum, sed nihil prorsus monasticae conversationis habentia.” Ep. Ecgb. § 10. “Quod enim turpe est dicere, tot sub nomine monasteriorum loca hi, qui monachicae vitae prorsus sunt expertes, in suam ditionem acceperunt, sicut ipse melius nosti,” etc. Ibid. § 11. “At alii graviore adhuc flagitio, quum sint ipsi laici et nullius vitae regularis vel usu exerciti, vel amore praediti, data regibus pecunia, emunt sibi sub praetextu monasteriorum construendorum territoria, in quibus suae liberius vacent libidini, et haec insuper in ius sibi haereditarium edictis regalibus faciunt ascribi, ipsas quoque litteras privilegiorum suorum, quasi veraciter Deo dignas, pontificum, abbatum et potestatum seculi, obtinent subscriptione confirmari. Sicque usurpatis sibi agellulis sive vicis, liberi exinde a divino simul et humano servitio, suis tantum inibi desideriis laici monachis imperantes deserviunt; immo non monachos ibi congregant, sed quoscunque ob culpam inobedientiae veris expulsos monasteriis alicubi forte oberrantes invenerint, aut evocare monasteriis ipsi valuerint; vel certe quos ipsi de suis satellitibus ad suscipiendam tonsuram, promissa sibi obedientia monachica, invitare quiverint. Horum distortis cohortibus suas, quas instruxere, cellas implent, multumque informi atque inaudito spectaculo, idem ipsi viri modo coniugis ac liberorum procreandorum curam gerunt, modo exsurgentes do cubilibus, quid intra septa onasteriorum geri debeat sedula intentione pertractant.... Sic per annos circiter triginta, hoc est ex quo Aldfrid rex humanis rebus ablatus est, provincia nostra vesano illo errore dementata est, ut nullus pene exinde praefectorum extiterit, qui non huiusmodi sibi monasterium in diebus suae praefecturae comparaverit, suamque simul coniugem pari reatu nocivi mercatus astrinxerit; ac praevalente pessima consuetudine, ministri quoque regis ac famuli idem facere sategerint. Atque ita ordine perverso innumeri sunt inventi, qui se abbates pariter et praefectos, sive ministros, aut famulos regis appellant; qui, etsi aliquid vitae monasterialis ediscere laici, non experiendo sed audiendo, potuerint, a persona tamen illa ac professione, quae hanc docere debeat, sunt funditus exsortes; et quidem tales repente, ut nosti, tonsuram pro suo libitu accipiunt, suo examine de laicis non monachi sed abbates efficiuntur.” Ibid. § 12, 13. (Bed. Op. Min. ii. 216, 218 seq.) On these and other grounds Beda earnestly impresses upon Ecgberht the duty of founding the twelve bishoprics contemplated by Gregory in the province of York, in order to multiply the means of ecclesiastical supervision. But if this was the condition of the Northumbrian monasteries in the year 734, the period of Northumbria’s greatest literary eminence, what may we conclude to have been the condition of similar establishments in less instructed parts of England, especially after a century of cruel wars had relaxed all the bonds of civilized society? We may not greatly admire monachism, or believe it useful to a state; but we can hardly blame those, who, finding the institution in existence, desire to make the men who are attached to it worthy and not unworthy members of their profession.

[957]. In the often-cited letter to Ecgberht, Beda gives but a bad character to some among the prelates of his time. He says: “Quod non ita loquor, quasi te aliter facere sciam, sed quia de quibusdam episcopis fama vulgatum est, quod ipsi ita Christo serviant, ut nullos secum alicuius religionis aut continentiae viros habeant; sed potius illos qui risui, iocis, fabulis, commessationibus, et ebrietatibus, caeterisque vitae remissioris illecebris subigantur, et qui magis quotidie ventrem dapibus quam mentem sacrificiis coelestibus pascant.” § 4 (Op Min. ii. 209, 210).

[958]. “Dráf út ða clerca of ða biscopríce, forðan ðæt hí noldon nán Regul healdan.” Chron. Sax. an. 963.

[959]. “Clerici illi, nominetenus Canonici, frequentationem chori, labores vigiliarum, et ministerium altaris vicariis suis utcumque sustentatis relinquentes, et ab aecclesiae conspectu plerumque absentes septennio, quidquid de praebendis percipiebant, locis et modis sibi placitis absumebant. Nuda fuit aecclesia intus et extra.” An. Wint. p. 289.

[960]. “Erant Canonici nefandis scelerum moribus implicati, elatione et insolentia, atque luxuria praeventi, adeo ut nonnulli eorum dedignarentur missas suo ordine celebrare, repudiantes uxores quas illicite duxerant, et alias accipientes, gulae et ebrietati iugiter dediti.” Vit. Æðelw. p. 614.

[961]. The description of a secular clerk given by the anonymous author of the Gesta Abbatum Fontanellensium, written in the ninth century, was probably not exaggerated. He says of Wido, a relative of Charles Martel, “Erat de saecularibus clericis, gladioque quem semispatium vocant semper accinctus, sagoque pro cappa utebatur, parumque aecclesiasticae disciplinae imperiis parebat. Nam copiam canum multiplicem semper habebat, cum qua venationi quotidie insistebat, sagittatorque praecipuus in arcubus ligneis ad aves feriendas erat, hisque operibus magis quam aecclesiasticae disciplinae studiis se exercebat.” It does not surprise us to learn that this prelate was also “ignarus litterarum.” Pertz, i. 284, 285.

[962]. Arnold died in 904, but his reforms began twenty years earlier. However, between the years 912 and 942, Berno, and his still more celebrated successor Odo, abbots of Cluny, had introduced a reform of the Benedictine rule in a great number of monasteries. Flodoardus calls Odo: “Dominus Odo, venerabilis abbas, multorum restaurator monasteriorum, sanctaeque Regulae reparator.” See Pagi. Baron, ad an. 942. This example was not lost upon Dúnstán.

[963]. “Baudouin le chauve, IIe comte de Flandre, s’empara, en 900, des deux abbayes de St. Vaast et St. Bertin.... Dès l’année 944, Arnould-le-vieux, rentré en possession de St. Vaast, entreprit la réforme de ces abbayes, par les soins de St. Gérard de Brognes, qu’il nomma abbé de St. Bertin. Il le chargea ensuite (probablement vers 950) de celle des abbayes de St. Pierre et de St. Bavon à Gand, qu’il avait également sous son pouvoir: Womare en fut nommé abbé. Ces reformes, sans doute d’après la règle de Cluny, créé en 910 [read 912 not 910], s’étendirent d’après la chronique de St. Bertin (Thes. Anecd. iii. 552, 553), à dix-huit abbayes de l’ordre de Saint Benoit (Chron. de Jean de Thielrode, édit. de M. Vanlokeren, p. 127). Les moines qui refusèrent de s’y soumettre, furent expulsés de leurs monastères: quelques-uns émigrèrent en Angleterre ou ailleurs.” Warnkönig, Hist. Fland. ii. 338 seq. In 956 Dúnstán flying from England, found hospitality and rest in one of these reformed houses, that of Blandinium or St. Peter, at Ghent.

[964]. Chron. Sax. an. 995. Probably it never had been monastic from the very time of Augustine: and the setting up a claim on the part of the monks, derived from Augustine himself, was totally inadmissible.

[965]. Hist. and Ant. Ang. Church, ii. 290, 294. This was certainly the case with several of Æðelwold’s monasteries; and I regret to think that many of the Saxon charters which pretend to the greatest antiquity were forged on occasion of this revival, to enlarge the basis of the restored foundations.