His death. 1123.
Local legends about him. the charge, and his son Simon, Dean of his own church, was born while he was Chancellor to the Conqueror, quite possibly in lawful wedlock. His last days form a striking incident in the next reign; here he chiefly concerns us as being in some sort, however strangely, bracketted with Anselm, as the other bishop whom the Red King named during his short time of repentance.[1] Anyhow it was hard on him to tell in after days how his ghost hindered anybody from praying or giving alms near his tomb in the minster, and that only because he removed the monks of Stow to Eynsham, because he subjected his see to the gift of a precious mantle to the King, or because he agreed to the wise measure which lessened the extent of his vast diocese.
Return of Herbert of Thetford.
He is deprived by the King.
Another bishop appeared at this gathering, whose coming
was, for the time, less lucky for himself than that of Robert
Bloet. Herbert of Thetford, struck with penitence for his
simoniacal bargain, had, as it will be remembered, gone beyond
sea on an errand which of all others was most offensive
to the King. He had gone to receive again from the
Pope—doubtless from Urban—the bishopric which he had
already bought of the King.[2] For this offence William
now took away his staff; that is, he deprived him of
his bishopric. With whose advice or consent this
was done, and what line Anselm took with regard to
such a step, we are not told. At all events the King
now deprived a bishop of his office on the ground of what
he deemed to be treason done without the realm. This
was the converse of the act by which, forty-two years
before, the nation had deprived another bishop on the
ground of what they deemed to be treason within the
realm.[3] William however did not set up any doubtful*
