William keeps faith to Anselm personally.
He oppresses his friends. King was construed after a truly chivalrous fashion. William doubtless thought that he was doing all that a true knight could be expected to do, if he kept himself from any personal injury to the man to whom he had personally pledged his faith. Anselm was unhurt; he was free; he went whither he would; he discharged the ordinary duties of his office undisturbed; it does not appear that he was in any way personally molested, or that any of the property of his see was taken into the King's hands. But William knew full well how to wreak his malice upon Anselm without breaking the letter of the faith which he had pledged. He knew how to grieve Anselm's loving heart far more deeply than it could be grieved by any wrong done to himself. The honour of the good knight was pledged to Anselm personally; it was not pledged to Anselm's friends and tenants. Towards them he might, without breach of honour, play the greedy and merciless king. A few days after Anselm had reached Canterbury, Rufus sent to drive out of England the Archbishop's cherished friend and counsellor the monk Baldwin of Tournay,[1] and two of his clerks. Their only crime was standing by their master in the trial which still stood adjourned.[2] The Archbishop's chamberlain was seized in his master's chamber before his master's eyes; false charges were brought against his tenants, unjust imposts were laid upon them, and other wrongs of many kinds done to them.[3] The church of Canterbury, it was said, began to doubt whether it had
- ↑ Eadmer, Hist. Nov. 31. "Baldwinum monachum, in quo pars major consiliorum Anselmi pendebat."
- ↑ "Præscripti discidii causa."
- ↑ "Quid referam camerarium ejus in sua camera ante suos oculos captum, alios homines ejus injusto judicio condemnatos, deprædatos, innumeris malis afflictos?" All this was "infra dies induciarum et præfixæ pacis." Eadmer reproaches the "regalis constantia fidei." Rufus would have said that his faith was plighted to Anselm, not to Baldwin.
