Rufus is crowned at Westminster, September 26, 1087.
Such was the first act of authority done by the new
ruler. Having thus disposed of the men whom he seems
to have dreaded, William found no opposition made
to his succession. But it was important for him to take
possession without delay. The time, September, was
not one of the usual seasons for a general assembly
of the kingdom, and William could not afford to wait
for the next great festival of Christmas. No native
English competitor was likely to appear; but he must
at least make himself safe against any possible attempts
on the part of his brothers beyond the sea. From
Winchester he hastened to the presence of Lanfranc—seemingly
at Canterbury; as the story is told us, it
seems to be taken for granted that it rested with the
Primate to give or to refuse the crown.[1] Whether the
younger William himself brought the news of the death
of the elder is not quite clear; but we are not surprised
to hear from an eye-witness that the first feeling of Lanfranc
was one of overwhelming grief at the loss of the
king who was dead, a king who, if he had been to him
a master, had also been in so many things a friend
and a fellow-worker.[2] The formal consecration of his
successor was not long delayed; the new king was
solemnly crowned and anointed by the hands of Lanfranc
in the minster of Saint Peter, on Sunday the feast of the
- [Footnote: Hist. Dun. Scriptt. Tres, v, of which I may have to speak again; "Morkaro
et Rogerio [clearly meant for Roger of Hereford] et Siwardo cognomento Bran et Wlnoto Haraldi regis germano." They are made to sign, along with Abbot Æthelwig, who died in 1077, in a Council in London in 1082. The whole thing is clearly spurious; but what put the signatures of the captives into anybody's head?]
- ↑ See Appendix A.
- ↑ Eadmer, Hist. Nov. 13 Selden. "Quantus autem mœror Lanfrancum ex morte ejus perculerit quis dicere possit, quando nos qui circa illum nuncia morte illius eramus, statim eum præ cordis angustia mori timeremus?" This seems to imply that the news reached Lanfranc when he had his monks about him, that is at Canterbury.
