This year King William gave the Earldom of Northumberland to Earl Robert, and the men of that country came against him, and slew him and 900 others with him. And then Edgar Ætheling marched with all the Northumbrians to York, and the townsmen treated with him; on which King William came from the south with all his troops, and sacked the town, and slew many hundred persons: and the Ætheling went again to Scotland.
1069.
This year Bishop Ægelric, being at Peterborough, was accused and sent to Westminster; and his brother Bishop Ægelwin was outlawed. Then between the two feasts of St. Mary, the sons of King Swegn and his brother Earl Osbearn came from Denmark with three hundred ships; on which Earl Waltheof marched forth, and he and Edgar Ætheling, and many hundreds with them, came and joined this fleet in the Humber, and they proceeded to York, and they landed and stormed the castle, and slew many hundred men, and carried much treasure to their ships: and they kept the chief men in bonds; and they wintered between the Ouse and the Trent. And King William went into those parts, and laid them all waste. And the same year Brand Abbot of Peterborough died on the 5th of the calends of December.
1070.
This year Landfranc Abbot of Caen came to England, and in a few days he was made Archbishop of Canterbury. He was consecrated at his metropolis on the 4th of the calends of September, by eight Bishops his suffragans; the rest who were absent signifying through messengers, and by writing, why they could not be there.—This year Thomas, who had been chosen as Bishop of York, came to Canterbury, that he might be consecrated there after the old form, but when Landfranc craved the confirmation of his subjection by oath, he refused, and said that he was not obliged to give it. Then was the Archbishop Landfranc wroth, and he commanded the Bishops, who were there at his behest to assist at the ceremony, and all the monks, to unrobe him; and they did as he desired: so this time Thomas returned home without a blessing. It happened soon after this, that the Archbishop Landfranc went to Rome, and Thomas with him: and when they were come thither, and had said all that they would on other subjects, Thomas began his speech, saying how he had come to Canterbury, and how the Archbishop had desired of him an oath of obedience, and that he had refused it. Then the Archbishop Landfranc began to make manifest with clear reasoning, that he had a right to demand that which he required; and he proved the same with strong arguments before the Pope Alexander, and before all the council then assembled: and thus they departed home. After this, Thomas came to Canterbury, and humbly performed all that the Archbishop required, and thereupon he received the blessing. This year Earl Waltheof made peace with the King. And during this Lent the King caused all the monasteries in England to be despoiled of their treasures. The same year King Swegn came from Denmark into the Humber, and the people of those parts came to meet him and made an alliance with him, for they believed that he would conquer this land. Then the Danish Bishop Christien, and Earl Osbearn, and their Danish retainers, came into Ely, and all the people of the fens joined them, for they believed that they would conquer the whole country.—Now the monks of Peterborough were told that some of their own men, these were Hereward and his train, would pillage the monastery, and this, because they had heard that the King had given the Abbacy to a French Abbot named Turold, and that he was a very stern man, and that he was come into Stamford with all his French followers. There was, at that time, a church-warden named Ywar; and he took all that he could by night, gospels, mass-robes, cassocks, and other garments, even all and each of such small things as he could carry away, and he came before day to the Abbot Turold, and told him that he sought his protection, and told how the outlaws were coming to Peterborough, and he said that he had done this at the desire of the monks. Then early in the morning all the outlaws came with many ships, and they endeavoured to enter the monastery, but the monks withstood them, so that they were not able to get in. Then they set fire to it, and burned all the monks’ houses, and all those in the town, save one: and they broke in through the fire at Bolhithe-geate (the Bulldyke gate), and the monks came before them and desired peace. But they gave no heed to them, and they went into the monastery, and climbed up to the holy crucifix, and took the crown from our Lord’s head, which was all of the purest gold, and they took the footstool of red gold from under his feet. And they climbed up to the steeple, and brought down the cope which was hidden there; it was all of gold and silver. They also seized two gilt shrines, and nine of silver, and they carried off fifteen great crosses of gold and silver. And they took so much gold and silver, and so much treasure in money, robes, and books, that no man can compute the amount; saying they did this because of their allegiance to the monastery: and afterwards they betook themselves to their ships and went to Ely, and there they secured their treasures. The Danes believed that they should overcome the Frenchmen, and they drove away all the monks, leaving only one named Leofwin the Long, and he lay sick in the hospital. Then came the Abbot Turold, and eight score Frenchmen with him, all well armed; and when he arrived he found all burnt both within and without, excepting the church itself; and all the outlaws were then embarked, knowing that he would come thither. This happened on the 4th of the nones of June. Then the two Kings, William and Swegn, made peace with each other, on which the Danes departed from Ely, carrying with them all the aforesaid treasure. When they were come into the midst of the sea, there arose a great storm, which dispersed all the ships in which the treasures were: some were driven to Norway, some to Ireland, and others to Denmark, and all the spoil that reached the latter country, being the cope and some of the shrines and crosses, and many of the other treasures, they brought to one of the King’s towns called ——, and laid it all up in the church.—But one night, through their carelessness and drunkenness the church was burned, with all that was in it. Thus was the monastery of Peterborough burned and pillaged. May Almighty God have pity on it in his great mercy: and thus the Abbot Turold came to Peterborough, and the monks returned thither and performed christian worship in the church, which had stood a full week without service of any kind. When Bishop Ægelric heard this, he excommunicated all the men who had done this evil. There was a great famine this year; and this summer the fleet from the Humber sailed into the Thames, and lay there two nights, and it afterwards held on its course to Denmark. And Earl Baldwin died, and his son Arnulf succeeded him; and Earl William (Fitz Osbern) and the French King should have been his support: but Earl Robert came and slew his kinsman Arnulf, and the Earl; and put the King to flight, and slew many thousands of his men.
“In the second year after Lanfranc’s consecration he went to Rome. Pope Alexander so greatly honoured him, that contrary to his custom he rose to meet him, and gave him two palls in token of especial favour: Lanfranc received one of them from the altar after the Roman manner, and the Pope, with his own hands, gave him the other, in which he himself had been accustomed to perform mass. In the presence of the Pope, Thomas brought forwards a calumny touching the primacy of the see of Canterbury, and the subjection of certain Bishops. Lanfranc briefly and clearly states the conclusion to which this affair was afterwards brought in England, in an epistle to the aforesaid Pope Alexander. This year a general council was held at Winchester, in which he deposed Wulfric Abbot of the new monastery, and made many regulations touching Christian discipline. A few days afterwards, he consecrated Osbern at London as Bishop of Exeter, and Scotland at Canterbury as Abbot of St. Augustine’s.
“In his 3d year he consecrated Peter at Gloucester as Bishop of Litchfield or Chester. This year also a great council was held at a place called Pinenden (Pinnenden or Pinchenden Heath, near Maidstone), in which Lanfranc proved that he and his church held their lands and their rights by sea and by land, as freely as the King held his: excepting in three cases: to wit, if the highway be dug up; if a tree be cut so as to fall upon it; and if murder be committed and blood spilt: when a man is taken in these misdeeds, the fine paid shall belong to the King; otherwise their vassals shall be free from regal exactions.
“In his 4th year he consecrated Patrick at London as Bishop of Dublin, in Ireland, from whom he received a profession of obedience, and he moreover gave him very memorable letters to the Kings of Ireland.
“In his 5th year a general council was held at London, the proceedings of which Lanfranc committed to writing, at the request of many.