a much keener satisfaction to his own spite, than anything that he could himself do with the high hand.
Mission of Gerard and William of Warelwast.
Their commission.
They are practically sent to acknowledge Urban.
As soon therefore as William found, by the issue of
the meeting at Rockingham, that Anselm could not be
bent to his will, and that he could practically do nothing
against Anselm, he sent two trusty clerks of his chapel
and chancery on a secret and delicate errand. They
were men of the usual stamp, both of whom afterwards
rose to those high places of the Church which were just
then commonly reserved for men of their stamp. They
were Gerard, afterwards Bishop of Hereford and Archbishop
of York, and William of Warelwast, afterwards
Bishop of Exeter. As we read our account of their
commission, it would almost seem as if they were empowered
to go to Rome, to examine into the state of
things, and to acknowledge whichever seemed to be
the true Pope, or rather whichever Pope was most likely
to suit their master's purpose. But practically they
had no choice but to acknowledge Urban. Local English
feeling might indeed set little store by one who
simply "hight Pope, though he nothing had of the
settle at Rome;"[1] but Urban was plainly the stronger
Pope, the Pope acknowledged by all who were not in
the immediate interest of the Emperor. And, what was
more, Urban was the only Pope who could carry out
William's purpose. A censure from Urban would be a
real blow to Anselm and to Anselm's partisans; a censure
from Clement would in their eyes go for nothing,
or rather it would be reckoned as another witness in
their favour. Practically Gerard and William of Warelwast
went to acknowledge Urban, and to see what they
could make of him. They went secretly. Anselm knew
nothing of their going. Most likely nothing was known
- ↑ So speaks our own Chronicler the next year. See above, p. 415.
