matter not by what power or by what process it was done; it would matter not if it involved the forsaking on William's own part of every position which he had taken up.
Anselm asks leave to go to Urban for the pallium.
William will acknowledge no pope.
Anselm's argument.
William's answer.
Position of Anselm towards Urban.
Anselm then came to Gillingham, and asked the
King's leave to go to the Pope to ask for his pallium.
William at once asked to which Pope he meant to go.[1]
Anselm of course answered, To Urban. The King said
that he had not yet acknowledged Urban as Pope, that
it was neither his custom nor that of his father to allow
any one in his kingdom so much as to call any one Pope
without his leave. So precious was this right to him
that to seek to take it from him was the same thing as
to seek to take away his crown.[2] Anselm then set forth
the case of the two contending Popes, and his own personal
case in the matter. He reminded the King of what
he had told him at Rochester before he took the archbishopric,
that, as Abbot of Bec, he had acknowledged
Urban, and that he could not withdraw from the
obedience which he had pledged to him. The King, in
great wrath, said that Anselm could not at once keep
his faith towards himself and the obedience which without
his leave he had promised to Urban.[3] Now, when
Anselm pledged his obedience to Urban, he was not an
English subject, and he needed no leave from the King
of England for anything. He acknowledged Urban, as
all the rest of Normandy acknowledged him. The obedience
which he had thus pledged Anselm looked on as
still personally binding on him, though his temporal
- ↑ Eadmer, Hist. Nov. 25. "Eique suam voluntatem in hoc esse innotuit, ut Romanum pontificem pro pallii sui petitione adiret. Ad quod rex, A quo inquit papa illud requirere cupis?"
- ↑ Ib. "Quicunque sibi hujus dignitatis potestatem vellet præripere, unum foret ac si coronam suam sibi conaretur auferre."
- ↑ Ib. "Iræ stimulis exagitatus, protestatus est illum nequaquam fidem quam sibi debebat simul et apostolicæ sedis obedientiam, contra suam voluntatem, posse servare."
