bishops and all his court with him. Now it fell out on a Wednesday, being the fourth before the Ides of January, that the king rode in his deer-park, and Roger bishop of Salisbury was on one side of him, and Robert Bloet bishop of Lincoln on the other; and they rode there talking. Then the bishop of Lincoln sank down, and said to the king, "My lord king! I am dying," and the king alighted from his horse, and took him between his arms, and bade them bear him to his inn, and he soon lay there dead; and they took his body with much pomp to Lincoln, and Robert bishop of Chester,[1] who was called Pecceth, buried him before St. Mary's altar. Soon after this the king sent his writs over all England, and desired his bishops, his abbats, and his thanes, that they should all come to the meeting of his witan at Gloucester, on Candlemas-day, and they obeyed; and when they were there assembled the king bade them choose to themselves whomsoever they would as archbishop of Canterbury, and that he would confirm their choice. Then the bishops spake among themselves, and said that they would never more have a man of any monastic order as archbishop over them. And they all with one accord went to the king, and entreated that they might choose one of the clergy for their archbishop, and to this the king consented. All this had been set on foot by the bishop of Salisbury, and by the bishop of Lincoln before he died, for they never loved the rule of monks, but were ever against monks and their rule. And the prior and monks of Canterbury and all others of the monastic order who were there, resisted this proceeding two full days, but in vain, for the bishop of Salisbury[2] was very powerful, and swayed all England, and he was against them with all his might. Then they chose a clerk named William of Curboil, he was a canon of a monastery called Chiche;[3] and they brought him before the king, who gave him the archbishopric, and he was received
- ↑ Or Lichfield. Peter, the bishop of that see in 1075 removed it to Chester, where it remained for a short period. Hence the bishops are frequently styled bishops of Chester. The present bishopric of Chester was not founded till 1541.
- ↑ Roger, bishop of Salisbury, was Lord Chief Justice, Lord Chancellor, and Lord Treasurer.
- ↑ "St. Osythe, in Essex; a priory rebuilt a. 1118, for canons of the Augustine order, of which there are considerable remains."—Ingram.
