Rouen from the Primate of the Normans, William the Good Soul.[1]
Howel's Norman loyalty.
Robert before Le Mans.
This story is worth telling, as it is thoroughly characteristic
of the Conqueror; but there is this difficulty
about it, that we can hardly understand either how the
historian of the Bishops of Le Mans could fail to know
the succession of the deans of his own church, or else
how the head of the chapter of Saint Julian's could be
lurking as a poor clerk in King William's chapel. Be
this as it may, there is thorough agreement as to the
episcopal virtues of Howel, as to his zeal in continuing
the works in the church of Saint Julian,[2] and as to his
unwavering loyalty to the Norman house. And, builder
and adorner of the sanctuary as he was, he did not
scruple to rob the altars of the saints of their gold and
silver to feed the poor in the day of hunger.[3] His loyalty
to Robert seems to have carried with it, for a time at
least, the submission of the city. The Duke drew near
at the head of his army. Bishop Odo was again in harness
as one of his nephew's chief captains. With him came
not a few of the lords who had seized castles in the Duke's
despite, but who were nevertheless ready to follow his
- ↑ Vet. An. 288. "Quia propter contentionem quæ inter Vvillum regem Anglorum, et Fulconem Andegavorum comitem de eodem episcopatu exorta erat, Radulfus Turonorum archiepiscopus Turonis eum ordinare non potuit, ipsius assensu atque præcepto omniumque suffraganeorum ejus, cum magno honore ordinatus est in Rotomago civitate, a domno Willelmo ejusdem urbis archiepiscopo xi. Kalend. Maii, anno ab Incarnatione Domini millesimo lxxxv."
- ↑ See Appendix MM.
- ↑ Vet. An. 290. "Cum fames populum oppressisset, essetque impossibile unius copiis generalem afflictorum indigentiam sustentari, ex communi cleri plebisque consilio, aurum et argentum quod erat in tabula altaris sanctorum martyrum Gervasii et Protasii pius temerator accepit; illudque fideli dispensatione pauperibus erogavit." Compare the action of Abbot Leofric of Saint Alban's, and the "prædictæ rationes" which led him so to act, together with the argument of Matthew Paris with regard to its lawfulness; Gest. Abb. i. 29, 30.
