=Source.=--Florence of Worcester, _Chronicon_, ed. Thorpe, vol. ii., p.
10.
Contrary to the command of king William, Roger earl of Hereford, son
of William, earl of the same county, gave his sister in marriage
to Ralph earl of the East Angles; they celebrated the wedding with
great magnificence amid a large gathering of nobles in the county
of Cambridge at a place called Exning, and there, with the assent of
almost all, entered into a great conspiracy against king William;
they also forced earl Waltheof, whom they had secured by a stratagem,
to join their conspiracy. He, however, as soon as he could, went to
Lanfranc archbishop of Canterbury, and received absolution from him,
with the sacrament, for the crime of which he was guilty against his
will; and by his advice he sought out king William, who was then in
Normandy; and disclosing to him the whole matter from beginning to end,
threw himself on his mercy. Meanwhile the aforesaid authors of the
conspiracy, in furtherance of their designs, repaired to their castles,
and began with their supporters to strain every nerve to foment
rebellion. But Wulstan bishop of Worcester, with a large military
force, prevented the earl of Hereford from crossing the Severn and
joining earl Ralph with his army at the appointed place, and the bishop
was joined by Aegelwin abbot of Evesham, with his men, and summoned
to his aid Urse, the sheriff of Worcester, and Walter de Lacy, with
their forces, and a large company of the people. Earl Ralph, on the
other hand, camping near Cambridge, was met by Odo, bishop of Bayeux,
the king’s brother, and Geoffrey, bishop of Coutances, with a large
force of both English and Normans ready for battle. Seeing that his
intentions were thwarted, and fearing the numbers of his opponents, he
fled secretly to Norwich, and entrusting the castle to his wife and his
knights, took ship and fled from England to Brittany; he was pursued by
his adversaries, who either slew or in divers ways disabled all of his
company whom they could take. Then the leaders of the king’s men for a
long time invested the castle, until peace was granted by the king’s
permission and the countess and her men allowed to leave England. After
these events the king returned from Normandy in autumn and put earl
Roger in prison, and earl Waltheof likewise, although he had sued for
the king’s mercy.... At Christmas following the king held his court
at Westminster, and of those who had risen against him he banished
some from England, and mutilated others by putting out their eyes or
cutting off their hands. As for the earls Waltheof and Roger, they were
condemned by a judicial sentence and committed to straiter imprisonment.
In the year 1075 earl Waltheof, by command of king William, was led
without the city of Winchester and there unworthily and cruelly
decapitated with an axe and buried on the spot. But in course of time
God so ordained it that his body was disinterred and carried with great
honour to Croyland and honourably buried there in the church. While he
was still in possession of life, though placed in strait confinement,
he bewailed unceasingly and remorsefully all that he had done amiss,
and by watchings, prayers, fasts and alms strove to make his peace with
God; men tried to blot out his memory on earth, but it is believed
that in truth he rejoices with the saints in heaven, on the faithful
testimony of the aforesaid archbishop Lanfranc, of pious memory, who
heard his confession and gave him absolution; for he asserted that the
earl was innocent of the charge imputed to him, to wit, the aforesaid
conspiracy, and that, like a true Christian, he had regretted with
tears of repentance whatsoever other sins he had committed; and
declared moreover that he himself should be blessed, if, at the end of
his own life, he should obtain a like blessed repose.
THE CROWN AND THE PAPACY: THE CONQUEROR’S LETTER TO HILDEBRAND (_c._
1080).
=Source.=--_Lanfranci Opera_, ed. Lucas d’Achéry, p. 304.
To the most excellent pastor of the Holy Church, Gregory, William by
the grace of God glorious king of the English and duke of the Normans,
greeting with affection.
Holy Father, your legate, Hubert, coming to me on your behalf, has
admonished me to do fealty to you and to your successors, and to take
better heed touching the money which my ancestors used to send to the
church of Rome. To the one request I consent, to the other I do not
consent. I have refused to do fealty, and I do refuse, because neither
did I promise it, nor, as I find, did my predecessors do fealty to your
predecessors. As to the money, it was negligently collected for nearly
three years, while I was in France, but now that I by divine mercy have
returned to my kingdom, that which has been collected by the aforesaid
legate is being sent, and the residue shall be despatched by the
messengers of our faithful archbishop Lanfranc, when opportunity shall
serve. Pray for me and for the estate of our realm, because we have
loved your predecessors and desire sincerely to love you before all
men, and obediently to hear you.