=Source.=--_The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle_, ed. Thorpe, vol. i., p. 374.
(Rolls Series.)
Then ... the king sent his writ over all England and bade his bishops
and his abbots and all his thegns that they should come to his council
on Candlemas Day (2 February) at Gloucester to meet him, and so they
did. When they were there gathered, the king bade them that they should
choose them an archbishop of Canterbury, whomsoever they would. Then
spake the bishops among themselves and said that never more would
they have a monkish man to be archbishop over them; and they all
went together to the king and prayed that they might choose a man
of the clergy, whomsoever they would, for archbishop; and the king
granted the same to them. This was all afore done through the bishop
of Salisbury and through the bishop of Lincoln before he was dead;
for that they loved never the rule of a monk, but were ever against
monks and their rule. And the prior and the monks of Canterbury and
all the other monkish men that were there withstood it full two days,
but it availed nothing, for the bishop of Salisbury was strong and
ruled all England, and was against it all that he might and could be.
Then chose they a clerk, William of Corbeil by name; he was canon of
a monastery called Chich (St. Osyth). And they brought him before the
king, and the king gave him the archbishopric, and all the bishops
accepted him, but the monks and earls and almost all the thegns that
were there withstood him. At the same time the envoys of the count (of
Anjou) departed from the king unsatisfied and cared nought for his
favour. At the same time there came a legate from Rome by name Henry;
he was abbot of the monastery of St. Jean d’Angely, and he came for
the Romescot. And he said to the king that it was against right that
a clerk should be set over monks, and therefore had the monks before
chosen an archbishop in their chapter according to right. But the
king would not undo it for love of the bishop of Salisbury. Then soon
thereafter the archbishop went to Canterbury, and was there received,
though it was against their will, and was there forthwith consecrated
as bishop by the bishop of London and the bishop Ernulf of Rochester
and the bishop William Giffard of Winchester and the bishop Bernard
of Wales and the bishop Roger of Salisbury. Then soon after in Lent
the archbishop went to Rome for his pall, and with him went the bishop
Bernard of Wales, and Sigfrid abbot of Glastonbury, and Anselm abbot
of St. Edmunds, and John archdeacon of Canterbury and Giffard, who was
the king’s household chaplain. At the same time the archbishop Thurstan
of York went to Rome at the Pope’s command, and came thither three
days before the archbishop of Canterbury came, and was there received
with great worship. Then came the archbishop of Canterbury and was
there full seven nights before he could come to speech with the Pope.
That was because it had been given to the Pope to understand that he
had received the archbishopric against the will of the monks of the
monastery, and against right. But that overcame Rome which overcomes
all the world, that is, gold and silver. And the Pope was appeased and
gave him his pall; and the archbishop swore obedience to him in all
things that the Pope enjoined upon him, on the altar of St. Peter and
St. Paul; and the Pope sent him home then with his blessing.