which even the King must yield.[1] In his hatred to Anselm, he hoped to carry one of two points. Either the Archbishop would abjure the Pope, and would abide in the land a dishonoured man who had given up the cause for which he strove. Or else, if he still clave to the Pope, the King would then have a reasonable excuse for driving him out of the kingdom.
Bishop William's promises to the King.
His speech to Anselm.
To these intrigues of the blaspheming King the
Bishop of Durham was not ashamed to lend himself.
He recked nothing of the dishonour under which it
was thought that Anselm would hardly bear to live.
He promised to the King that he would bring about
one of two things; either the Archbishop should
renounce the Pope, or else he should formally resign
the archbishopric by restoring the ring and staff.[2]
Now seemingly was the time to press him, when he was
weary with the day's work and sought for a respite,
when his enemies were beginning to hope that, either
through fear or weariness, he would be driven to yield.
So the bishops again went back from the King to the
Archbishop, with him of Durham as their leader and
spokesman. The time-server made his speech to the
man of God. "Hear the King's complaint against you.
He says that, as far as lies in your power, you have
robbed him of his dignity by making Odo Bishop of
Ostia"—William of Saint-Calais had had other names
for him in an earlier assembly—"Pope in his England[3]
without his bidding. Having so robbed him, you ask
- ↑ Eadmer, Hist. Nov. 28. "Nec regia dignitate integre se potitum suspicabatur, quamdiu aliquis in tota terra, vel etiam secundum Deum, nisi per eum quicquam habere (not dico) vel posse dicebatur."
- ↑ "Spoponderat se facturum ut Anselmus aut Romani pontificis funditus obedientiam abnegaret, aut archiepiscopatui, reddito baculo et annulo, abrenunciaret."
- ↑ Ib. 29. "Dicit quod quantum tua interest eum sua dignitate spoliasti; dum Odonem episcopum Ostiensem sine sui auctoritate præcepti papam in sua Anglia facis."
