NORMAN PRELATES
There came one day, to the Abbey of Bec in Normandy, a great scholar
named Lanfranc. The Abbot was building an oven, "working at it with his
own hands. Lanfranc came up and said, 'God save you.' 'God bless you,'
said the Abbot Herlwin. 'Are you a Lombard?' 'I am,' said Lanfranc.
'What do you want?' 'I want to become a monk.' Then the Abbot bade a
monk named Roger, who was doing his work apart, to show Lanfranc the
book of S. Benedict's Rule; which he read and answered that, with God's
help, he would gladly observe it. Then the Abbot, hearing this and
knowing who he was and from whence he came, granted him what he
desired. And he, falling down at the mouth of the oven, kissed
Herlwin's feet."
The fame of the Abbey of Bec spread far and wide. "Under Lanfranc,"
said the chronicler, "the Normans first fathomed the art of letters;
for under the six dukes of Normandy, scarce anyone among the Normans
had applied to studies, nor was there any teacher found, till God, the
Provider of all things, brought Lanfranc to Normandy."
He was William the Conqueror's friend and counsellor and brought the
Church into much honour when he became Archbishop of Canterbury.
Among the strangers, who came to Bec, was Anselm. He had long desired
to be a monk and had travelled over the Alps from Italy to join the
order. When he was young, he used "to listen gladly to his mother, and
having heard from her that there is one God in Heaven above, ruling all
things, he imagined that Heaven rested on the mountains, that the
palace of God was there and that the way to it was up the mountains."
Before he was fifteen, he had written to a certain Abbot asking him to
make him a monk, but he would not, when he heard that Anselm had not
spoken to his father about it.
Anselm was a scholar, too, and men counted it a great thing to have
been taught by him. "He behaved so that all men loved him as their dear
father." If any were sick, he nursed them; if any angry, he sought them
out. It was said that even the King, Rufus, so harsh and terrible to
all others, in his presence became gentle and gracious.
When he was Abbot of Bec, he gave so much to the poor that the monks
were often in need of bread themselves. Many came to seek his advice,
"whole days he would spend in giving counsel" and his nights in
correcting the books that had been copied out.
When Lanfranc died, William Rufus brought the kingdom into much trouble
and sorrow, by closing churches, taking their money and refusing to
choose an Archbishop. It happened that the King fell ill and messengers
were sent to Anselm begging him to see the King and show him the way to
health. Anselm was stern and bade the King confess his sins, and those
who stood round urged him to make Anselm Archbishop. When the King's
choice was told him, Anselm trembled and turned pale. "Consider I am
old and unfit for work, how can I bear the charge of all this church? I
am a monk and I can honestly say I have shunned all worldly business.
Do not entangle me in what I have never loved and am not fit for." The
Archbishop of Canterbury was a great officer, for he anointed the King
when he was crowned, he held many lands and must protect the Church
against the King if need be, for the Church was rich and the King poor.
The bishops and barons would not listen and they dragged him back to
the King, shouting, "A pastoral staff, a pastoral staff." When they had
found one, the King pressed it into his hand, though he held his fist
clenched, and the crowd shouted, "Long live the Bishop." The Archbishop
soon after asked for a council, for the King was still robbing the
Church and "the Christian religion had well-nigh perished in many men."
Rufus was angry, "What good would come of this matter for you?"
"If not for me, at least, I hope, for God and for you."
"Enough, talk no more of it to me."
The Archbishop begged the King not to rob the Abbeys and the King
answered, "What are the abbeys to you? Are they not mine? Go to! you do
what you like with your farms and am I not to do what I like with my
Abbeys?"
"They are not yours to waste and destroy and use for your wars."
The King said, "Your predecessor would not have dared to speak thus to
my father. I will do nothing for you."
Then Anselm departed with speed and left him to his will.
"Yesterday," said the King, "I hated him much, to-day still more;
to-morrow and ever after, he may be sure I shall hate him with more
bitter hatred. As Father and Archbishop I will never hold him more; his
blessing and prayers I utterly abhor and refuse."
Anselm asked leave to go to Rome, for the Archbishop must wear the
white stole, woven from the wool of the sheep of S. Agnes in Rome and
blessed by the Pope "the Father of all Christian people."
"From which Pope?" said the King, for there were two at this time.
"From Urban."
"Urban," said the King, "I have not acknowledged. By my customs, and by
the customs of my father, no man may acknowledge a Pope in England
without my leave. To challenge my power in this is as much as to
deprive me of my crown."
Anselm, seeing that in no way could he bring the King to have respect
for the Church, went to Rome to seek the Pope's help. He said to the
bishops and barons, "Since you, the Shepherds of the Christian people,
and you, who are called chiefs of the nation, refuse your counsel to
me, your chief, except according to the will of one man, I will go to
the chief shepherd and prince of all."
The Pope honoured Anselm by giving him the chief seat among the
Cardinals, but he kept him waiting at the Court, for he feared to
offend all other kings and tyrants.
It was the custom to read the laws of the Church once a year in S.
Peter's Church in Rome, and there was gathered there a great crowd of
pilgrims from many countries. The Bishop of Lucca, a man of great
stature and loud voice, was chosen to read the laws. When he had got a
little way, his eyes kindled and he called out, "One is sitting among
us from the ends of the earth in modest silence, still and meek. But
his silence is a loud cry. The deeper and gentler his humility and
patience, the higher it rises before God, the more it should kindle us.
This one man, this one man, I say, has come here in his cruel
afflictions and wrongs to ask for your judgment. And this is his second
year and what help has he found? If you do not all know whom I mean, it
is Anselm, Archbishop of England," and he broke his staff and threw it
on the ground.
"Brother, enough, enough," said the Pope, "good order shall be taken
about this."
"There is good need, for otherwise the thing will not pass with Him who
judges justly."
Anselm left Rome, for he knew the Pope could not help. With much
patience and meekness, Anselm contended yet again with Henry I for the
rights of the Church. Becket, too, Archbishop of Canterbury, the King's
friend and servant, defended it once again in the days of Henry
II--even with his life.