A literal translation of the Saxon chronicle

by Unknown

This year the King sent to England after Earl Waleram, and after Hugh the son of Gervais; and there they gave him hostages, and Hugh went home to France his own country, and Waleram remained with the King, and the King gave him all his lands, excepting his castle alone. Then the King came to England in harvest, and the Earl came with him, and they were as great friends as they had been enemies before. Then soon, by the King’s counsel and consent, William Archbishop of Canterbury sent over all England, and commanded the Bishops, and Abbots, and Archdeacons, and all the Priors, Monks, and Canons of all the cells of England, and all who had the charge and oversight of the Christian religion, that they should come to London at Michaelmas, to hold conference upon all God’s rights. When they came thither, the meeting began on the Monday and lasted till the Friday, and it came out that it was all concerning the wives of Archdeacons and Priests, that they should part with them by St. Andrew’s day; and that he who would not do this, should forego his church, his house, and his home, and never be permitted again to claim them. This was ordered by William Archbishop of Canterbury, and all the Bishops of England; and the King gave them leave to depart, and so they went home, and these decrees were in no respect observed, for all kept their wives, by the King’s permission, even as before. The same year William Giffard Bishop of Winchester died, and was buried there on the 8th of the calends of February; and after Michaelmas the King gave the Bishoprick to his Nephew Henry Abbot of Glastonbury, and he was consecrated by William Archbishop of Canterbury on the 15th of the calends of December. The same year died Pope Honorius, and before he was well dead, two Popes were chosen. The one was named Peter, he was a monk of Cluny, and descended from the greatest men of Rome, and the Romans and the Duke of Sicily held with him; the other was named Gregory, he was a clerk, and he was driven from Rome by the other Pope and his kinsmen, and he was acknowledged by the Emperor of Saxony, by the King of France, by Henry King of England, and by all on this side the mountains. There was now so great a division in Christendom, that the like had never been before: May Christ appoint good counsel for his miserable people! The same year there was a great earthquake on St. Nicholas’ night, a little before day.

1130.

This year the monastery of Canterbury was consecrated by Archbishop William, on the 4th of the nones of May. The following Bishops were there: John of Rochester, Gilbert Universalis of London, Henry of Winchester, Alexander of Lincoln, Roger of Salisbury, Simon of Worcester, Roger of Coventry, Godfrey of Bath, Everard of Norwich, Sigefrid of Chichester, Bernard of St. David’s, Audoenus of Evreux, in Normandy, and John of Seez. On the 4th day after this, King Henry was at Rochester, and nearly the whole town was burnt down; and Archbishop William and the aforesaid Bishops consecrated St. Andrew’s monastery. And King Henry went over sea to Normandy during harvest. The same year Henry Abbot of Angely came to Peterborough after Easter, and said that he had wholly given up that monastery. After him, the Abbot of Cluny named Peter came to England with the King’s leave, and he was received with much honour wherever he went; he came to Peterborough, and there the Abbot Henry promised that he would obtain for him the monastery of Peterborough, and that it should be annexed to Cluny; but as it is said in the proverb, “The Hedge still stands—That parts the Lands.” May Almighty God frustrate evil counsels! And soon afterwards the Abbot of Cluny went home to his own country.

1131.

This year, on a moonlight night after Christmas, during the first sleep, the northern half of the heaven was, as it were, a burning fire; so that all who saw it were more affrighted than ever they were before; this happened on the 3d of the ides of January. The same year there was so great a pestilence amongst animals over all England, as had not been in the memory of man; it chiefly fell on cattle and on swine, so that in the town where ten or twelve ploughs had been going, not one remained, and the man, who had possessed two or three hundred swine, had not one left him. After this the hens died; and flesh-meat became scarce, and cheese, and butter. God mend the state of things when such is his will! And King Henry came home to England before harvest, after the latter feast of St. Peter. The same year before Easter the Abbot Henry went from Peterborough over sea to Normandy, and there he spoke with the King, and told him that the Abbot of Cluny had commanded him to come over, and resign to him the Abbey of Angely; and that then, with his leave, he would return home: and so he went to his own monastery and abode there till Midsummer day. And, on the day after the feast of St. John, the monks chose an Abbot from among themselves, and brought him into the church in procession; they sang Te Deum laudamus, they rang the bells, and they set him on the Abbot’s seat, and they did all obedience to him, even as they would to their Abbot; and the Earl and all the chief men and the monks drove the other Abbot Henry out of the monastery, and well they might, for in five and twenty years they had never known a good day. All his great craftiness failed him here, and now it behoved him to creep into any corner, and to consider if perchance there yet remained some slippery device, by which he might once more betray Christ and all christian people. Then went he to Cluny, and there they kept him, so that he could go neither east nor west; the Abbot of Cluny saying that they had lost St. Jean through him, and his great sottishness; wherefore seeing he could give no better compensation, he promised and swore on the holy relics, that if he might proceed to England he would obtain for them the monastery of Peterborough, and would establish there a Prior of Cluny, a church-warden, a treasurer, and a keeper of the robes, and that he would make over to them all things both within and without the monastery. Thus he went into France and abode there all the year. May Christ provide for the wretched monks of Peterborough, and for that miserable place, for now do they stand in need of the help of Christ and of all christian people.

1132.

This year King Henry returned to this land: then the Abbot Henry came, and accused the monks of Peterborough to the King, because he desired to subject that monastery to Cluny; so that the King was well nigh beguiled, and sent for the monks; but by God’s mercy, and through the Bishops of Salisbury and Lincoln, and the other great men who were there, he found out that the Abbot dealt treacherously. When he could do no more, he wished that his nephew might be Abbot of Peterborough, but this was not the will of Christ. It was not very long after this that the King sent for him, and made him give up the Abbey of Peterborough, and depart out of the country, and the King granted the Abbacy to a Prior of St. Neot’s named Martin, and he came to the monastery, right worshipfully attended, on St. Peter’s day.

1135.

This year, at Lammas, King Henry went over sea: and on the second day, as he lay asleep in the ship, the day was darkened universally, and the sun became as if it were a moon three nights old, with the stars shining round it at mid-day. Men greatly marvelled, and great fear fell on them, and they said that some great event should follow thereafter—and so it was, for the same year the King died in Normandy, on the day after the feast of St. Andrew. Soon did this land fall into trouble, for every man quickly began to rob his neighbour as he might. Then King Henry’s sons and his friends took his body, and brought it to England, and buried it at Reading. He was a good man, and great was the awe of him; no man durst ill treat another in his time: he made peace for men and deer. Whoso bare his burden of gold and silver, no man durst say to him aught but good. In the mean time his nephew Stephen de Blois had arrived in England, and he came to London, and the inhabitants received him, and sent for the Archbishop William Corboyl, who consecrated him King on midwinter-day. In this King’s time was all discord, and evil-doing, and robbery; for the powerful men who had kept aloof, soon rose up against him; the first was Baldwin de Redvers, and he held Exeter against the King, and Stephen besieged him, and afterwards Baldwin made terms with him. Then the others took their castles, and held them against the King, and David King of Scotland betook him to Wessien,[BJ] but, notwithstanding his array, messengers passed between them, and they came together, and made an agreement, though it availed little.

1137.