Howbeit shortlie after, there came to Canturburie a messenger on the behalfe of the archbishop of Yorke, with letters inclosed vnder the kings seale, by the tenour whereof the king commanded Anselme, that the consecration of the archbishop of Yorke might staie till the feast of Easter; and if he might returne into England by that daie, he promised (by the aduice had therein of the bishops and barons of his realme) that he would set a direction betwixt them in all matters, whereof anie controuersie had beene moued heretofore: or if he could not returne so soone, he would yet take such order, that brotherlie loue & concord might remaine betwixt them. When he that brought these letters required A stout prelat. an answer, Anselme answered, that he would signifie his mind to the king, and not to his maister. Immediatlie therefore as the deane of Chichester sent ouer from Anselme, with a moonke of Bechellouin to the king, to informe him of all the matter, and to beséech his maiestie, by his authority to prouide, that no discord should rise to the diuiding of the present state of the church of England. Furthermore, whereas he had commanded him to grant vnto Thomas the archbishop of Yorke, a time of respit; he should take for certeine answer, that he would rather suffer Anselme sendeth to the king. himselfe to be cut in peeces, than to grant so much as one hours space on the said Thomas of Yorke, whom he knew alreadie to haue set himselfe vniustlie against the ancient constitutions of holie fathers, and against the Lord himselfe. The messengers declared these things to the king, and brought word backe againe at their returne, that the king had heard their message with fauourable mind, and promised by the power of God, to declare to the world that he coueted vnitie, and not any diuision in the church of England.
Anselme sick. All this while Anselme was detained with long and gréeuous sicknesse, and yet not forgetfull of the obstinate dealing of Thomas of Yorke, he wrote letters vnto him, by vertue whereof he suspended him from exercising all pastorall function, till he had reformed his errour, submitted himselfe to receiue his blessing, and acknowledged his subiection to the church of Canturburie, as his predecessours Thomas and Gerard had doone, and before them other ancients, as custome had prescribed. Thus he charged him, vpon paine of cursing, except he would renounce his archbishops dignitie: for in so dooing he did grant him licence to vse the office and ministerie of a préest (which before time he had taken vpon him) or else not.
In the same letters he prohibited all the bishops within the precinct of the Ile of Britaine, that in no wise they should consecrate him, vpon paine of cursing: and if he should chance to be consecrated by any Letters from Anselme. stranger, that in no wise they should (vnder the like paine) receiue him for archbishop, or communicate with him in any condition. Euerie bishop also within the whole Ile of Britaine had a copie of these leters directed to him from Anselme vnder his seale, commanding them to behaue themselues therein according to the contents, and as they were bound by the subiection which they owght to the church of Canturburie. The letters were dated alike in March.
1109.
An. Reg. 10. Notwithstanding all this, vpon the 21. of Aprill insuing, Anselme ended his life in the sixteenth yéere after his first preferment to that sée, being thréescore and sixtéene yeeres of age. He was an Italian, borne in Piemont, néere to the Alpes, in a citie called Aosta, he was brought vp Augusta Prætoriana. by Lanfranke, and before he was made archbishop, was abbat of the monasterie of Bechellouin in Normandie.
Matth. West. The first erection of the bishoprike of Elie. Eadmerus. About the same time was the bishops sée of Elie erected by the king, who appointed one Haruie to be the first bishop there, who before had béene bishop of Bangor. Cambridgeshire was annexed to that see, which bicause it had of former time belonged to the see of Lincolne, the king gaue vnto the bishop of Lincolne (as it were in recompense) the towne of Richard prior of Elie. Spalding which was his owne. The prior of Elie, named Richard, desirous to honour himselfe and his house with the title of a bishops dignitie, procured the erection of that bishoprike, first moouing the king therein, and after persuading with the bishop of Lincolne to grant his good will: but yet yer the matter was brought to perfection, this prior died, and so the said Haruie enioied the roome: wherein the prouerbe Polydor. tooke place, that One soweth, but an other reapeth (as Polydor alledgeth it.) But to procéed.
Eadmerus. Shortlie after the deceasse of Anselme, a Legat came from Rome, bringing with him the pall for the archbishop of Yorke. Howbeit now that Anselme A legate from Rome. was dead, the said Legat wist not what to doo in the matter, bicause he was appointed to deliuer the pall first and immediatlie vnto Anselme, and further therein to deale (concerning the bestowing thereof) as should séeme good vnto him.
In the feast of Pentecost next insuing, the king returned from Normandie, and held his court at London, where after the solemnitie of that feast, he called an assemblie of the bishops, to vnderstand what was to be doone in the matter, for the consecration of the archbishop of Yorke. Here were the letters shewed which the archbishop Anselme had (a little before his death) directed vnto euerie of the bishops as before The earle of Mellent. yee haue heard. Which when the earle of Mellent had read, and vnderstood the effect, he asked what he was that durst receiue any such letters without the kings assent and commandement: At length the bishops Samson bishop of Worcester. aduising themselues what they had to doo, required Samson bishop of Worcester to declare his opinion, who boldlie spake these words; "Although this man, who is elected archbishop, is my sonne, whome in times past I begot of my wife, and therfore ought to seeke his aduancement as nature and worldlie respects might mooue me: yet am I more bound vnto the church of Canturburie, my mother, which hath preferred me to this honor that I doo beare, and by the ministerie of a bishoplike office hath made me partaker of that grace, which it hath deserued to enioy of the Lord. Wherefore I would it should be notified vnto you all, that I meane to obeie in euerie condition the commandement conteined in the letters of our father Anselme concerning the matter which you haue now in hand. For I will neuer giue mine assent, that Thomas nominated archbishop of Yorke shall be consecrated, till he haue professed his due and canonicall obedience touching his subiection to Looke in pa. 15, where you shall sée this matter determined.[6] the church of Canturburie. For I my selfe was present when my brother Thomas archbishop of Yorke, constreined both by ancient customes and inuincible reasons, did professe the like subiection vnto archbishop Lanfranke, and all his successours the archbishops of Canturburie."
The protestations of the bishops to the king. These words thus vttered by the bishop of Worcester, all the bishops returned togither, comming before the kings presence, boldlie confessed that they had receiued Anselmes letters, and would not doo any thing contrarie to the tenour of the same. Whereat the earle of Mellent shooke the head, as though he ment to accuse them of contempt towards the king. But the king himselfe vttered his mind, and said, that whatsoeuer other men thought of the matter, he suerlie was of the like mind with the bishops, & would be loth to run in danger of Anselms cursse. Wherefore it was determined, that the elect of Yorke should either acknowledge his subiection to the church of Canturburie, or else forgo his dignitie of archbishop: wherevpon in the end he came to London, and there vpon the 28. daie of Maie was consecrated by Richard bishop of London, as deane to the sée of Canturburie. Then hauing the profession or protestation of his subiection to the sée of Canturburie deliuered him vnder seale, he brake vp the same, and read the writing in maner and forme following:
The tenour of the profession which the archbishop of Yorke made vnto the archbishop of Canturburie. "Ego Thomas Eboracensis ecclesiæ consecrandus metropolitanus, profiteor subiectionem & canonicam obedientiam sanctæ Dorobernensi ecclesiæ, & eiusdem ecclesiæ primati canonicè electo & consecrato, & successoribus suis canonicè inthronizatis, salua fidelitate domini mei Henrici regis Anglorum, & salua obedientia ex parte mea tenenda, quam Thomas antecessor meus sanctæ Romanæ ecclesiæ ex parte sua professus est:" that is;
"I Thomas to be consecrated metropolitane archbishop of Yorke, professe my subiection and canonicall obedience vnto the holie church of Canturburie, and to the primate of the same church, canonicallie elected and consecrated, and to his successours canonicallie inthronized, sauing the faith which I owe vnto my souereigne lord Henrie king of the English, and sauing the obedience to be holden of my part, which Thomas my predecessour professed on his behalfe vnto the holie church of Rome."