Page:The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (Giles).djvu/165

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A.D.1070.
THE ANGLO-SAXON CHRONICLE.
147

there. This year Thomas, who had been chosen as bishop of York, came to Canterbury, that he might be consecrated there after the old form, but when Lanfranc craved the

    the relics of St. Augustine. Lanfranc seized those who remained behind and placed them in various monasteries of England, confining them till he brought them to profess their submission. About the same lime, he seized one of them named Alfred, who had attempted to flee, and confined him loaded with irons at Canterbury, together with some of his fellows: and he exercised upon them the utmost severity of their order. But when these monks were thought to be sufficiently humbled and had promised amendment, Lanfranc taking pity on them, had them brought from the several places whither he had banished them, and reconciled them to their abbat.

    The same year the dissensions were renewed, and the monks plotted the death of their abbat, but one of them, named Columban, being taken, Lanfranc caused him to be brought to him. As he stood there before him, Lanfranc asked if he desired to murder his abbat. And the monk forthwith replied, "Yes! if I could I would certainly kill him." Then Lanfranc commanded that he should be tied up naked by the gates of St. Augustine's and suffer flagellation before all the people, that his cowl should then be torn off, and that he should be driven out of the city. This order was executed, and thenceforth, during Lanfranc's life, sedition was repressed by the dread of his severity.

    In the nineteenth year of his prelacy, died the venerable archbishop Lanfranc, and he was buried at his metropolitan see of Canterbury, of which he had been possessed eighteen years, nine months, and two days. His deeds, his buildings, alms, and labours, are only in part recounted in the writing which is read on his anniversary, for they were very numerous. After his death the monks of St. Augustine's, openly rebelling against their aforesaid abbat Wydo, stirred up the citizens of Canterbury, who, with an armed force, attempted to slay him in his house. But his family made resistance, and when many had been wounded, and some killed on both sides, the abbat with much difficulty escaped unhurt from amongst them, and fled for refuge to the mother church of Canterbury (Christ's church.) On the report of this disturbance Walkelin bishop of Winchester, and Gundolf bishop of Rochester, suffragans to the see of Canterbury, with some noblemen sent by the king, hastened to Canterbury, that they might take vengeance on the delinquents; and when they had inquired into the causes of the sedition, and had found the monks unable to clear themselves, they condemned them to suffer public punishment because they had transgressed openly. But the prior and monks of Christ's church, moved with piety, pleaded against the sentence, lest, if they were to receive their discipline before all the people, they should henceforth be accounted infamous, and so their profession and office come to be despised. Wherefore it was granted on their intercession, that the punishment should take place in the church, into which the populace should not be admitted, but those only who were appointed to see it executed. And two monks of Christ's church, Wydo and Norman, were called in, and they inflicted the punishment at the command of the bishops. Then the rebellion monks were dispersed into various monasteries of England; and twenty-four monks