1107. About the calends of August, in this yeare 1107, the king held a councell of bishops, abbats, and other lords of his realme in his pallace at London, where in the absence of Anselme, the matter touching the inuestitures of churches, was argued vpon for the space of thrée daies togither, and in the end bicause the pope had granted the homages of bishops and other prelats to the king, which his predecessor Urban had forbidden, togither with the inuestitures; the king was contented to consent to the popes will in forbearing the same. So that when Anselme was come, the king in presence of him and a great multitude of his people, granted and ordeined, that from thenceforth no bishop nor abbat should be inuested within the realme of England, by the hand either of the king or any laie man: on the other side it was granted againe by Anselme, that no person elected into the prelacie, should be depriued of his consecration for dooing his homage to the king.

These things thus ordred, the churches which through England had bin long vacant, were prouided of gouernors, which were placed without any inuestiture of staffe or ring. About this time, Anselme consecrated fiue bishops at Canturburie in one day, archbishop William to the sée of Winchester, Roger that was the kings chancellor to Salisburie, William Warlewast to Excester, Remaline the quéenes chancellor to Hereford, and one Urban to Glamorgan in Wales.

Polydor. Ran. Higd. About this season a great part of Flanders being drowned by an exundation or breaking in of the sea, a great number of Flemings came into England, beséeching the king to haue some void place assigned them, Flemings cōming ouer into England, haue places appointed them to inhabit. wherein they might inhabit. At the first they were appointed to the countrie lieng on the east part of the riuer of Twéed: but within foure yeres after, they were remooued into a corner by the sea side in Wales, called Penbrokeshire, to the end they might be a defense there to the English against the vnquiet Welshmen.

Wil. Malms. ¶ It should appeare by some writers, that this multitude of Flemings consisted not of such onelie as came ouer about that time by reason their countrie was ouerflowne with the sea (as ye haue heard) but of other also that arriued here long before, euen in the daies of William the Conquerour, through the freendship of the quéene their countriewoman, sithens which time their number so increased, that the realme of England was sore pestered with them: wherevpon king Henrie deuised to place them in Penbrokeshire, as well to auoid them out of the other parts of England, as also by their helpe to tame the bold and presumptuous fiercenesse of the Welshmen. Which thing in those parties they brought verie well to passe: for after they were setled there, they valiantlie resisted their enimies, and made verie sharpe warres vpon them, sometimes with gaine, and sometimes with losse.

1108.
An. Reg. 9. A councell. Sim. Dunel. Eadmerus. In the yeare 1108. Anselme held an other synod or councell, whereat in presence of the king, and by the assent of the earles and barons of the realme it was ordeined.

Préests are sequestred frō their wiues. 1 That préests, deacons, and subdeacons should liue chastlie, and kéepe no women in their houses, except such as were neere of kin to them.

2 That such preests, deacons, and subdeacons, as contrarie to the inhibition of the councell holden at London, had either kept their wiues, or married other (of whom as Eadmerus saith, there was no small number) they should put them quite away, if they would continue still in their préesthood.

3 That neither the same wiues should come to their houses, nor they to the houses where their wiues dwelled: but if they had any thing to say to them, they should take two or thrée witnesses, and talke with them abroad in the street.

4 That if any of them chanced to be accused of breaking this ordinance, he should be driuen to purge himselfe with six sufficient witnesses of his owne order, if he were a préest: if a deacon, with foure: and if a subdeacon, with two.

5 That such preests as would forgo seruing at the altar, and holie order (to remaine with their wiues) should be depriued of their benefices, and not suffered to come within the quire.