Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland, vol 2 : England | Page 4

of Bolongne, and manie
gentlemen of Flanders, which were in mind to defend the place against
the king: [Sidenote: Rochester besieged by the king.] who hearing what
was doone, came with his armie and besieged the citie of Rochester on
ech side so sharpelie, that they within were glad to deliuer it vp into his
hands. [Sidenote: An. Reg. 2.] [Sidenote: _Polydor._] [Sidenote: 1089.]
Thus lost bishop Odo all his liuings and dignities in England, and so
returned into Normandie, where vnder duke Robert he had the chéefe
gouernement of the countrie committed vnto him.
After this he ouercame diuers of his enimies some by faire and some by
fowle meanes. Notwithstanding this, there yet remained the bishop of

Durham, one of the chéefe conspirators, who withdrew himselfe into
the citie of Durham, there to lie in safetie, till he saw how the world
would go: but being therein besieged by the king, who came thither
personallie, he was at length forced to surrender the city, and yeeld
himselfe: [Sidenote: The bishop of Durham exiled.] wherevpon also he
was exiled the land, with diuerse of his complices. But within two
yeares after, he was called home againe, and restored to his church,
wherein he liued not long, but died for sorrow, bicause he could not
cleere himselfe of offense in the said rebellion, albeit that he laboured
most earnestlie so to doo, that he might thereby haue atteined to the
kings fauor againe.
[Sidenote: Lanfranke archbishop of Canturburie departeth this life.]
Whilest these things were thus in hand, the archbishop Lanfranke
falleth sicke and dieth, in the 19. yeare after his first entring into the
gouernment of the sea of Canturburie. This Lanfranke (as should seeme)
was a wise, politike, and learned prelate, who whilest he liued,
mollified the furious and cruell nature of king William Rufus,
instructing him to forbeare such wild and outragious behauiours as his
youthfulnesse was inclined vnto: and moreouer persuaded the English
to obey the same king as their loiall prince, whereby they should
occasion him to be their good lord and king, not vsing them rigorouslie
as his father had doon. So that Lanfranke could not well haue beene
spared in the time of the rebellion, without great danger of subuerting
the state of the commonwealth. He builded two hospitals without the
citie of Canturburie, for the releefe of poore people and strangers, the
one of S. John, the other at Harbaldowne. He aduanced the church of
Rochester from foure secular clerkes, to the number of fiftie moonkes:
[Sidenote: _Matth. Westm._ Paule abbat of S. Albons] he repaired
Christes church in Canturburie, and the abbey of S. Albons, whereof he
made one Paule that was his nephue abbat, which Paule gouerned that
house by his vncles assistance greatlie to the aduancement thereof, as
well in temporall as spirituall preferments, as it was then iudged.
Likewise the said Lanfranke was verie fortunate in the gouernement of
his church and sée of Canturburie, recouering sundrie portions of lands
and rents alienated from the same before his daies, insomuch that he
restored to that sée 25 manors. [Sidenote: _Eadmerus._] For amongst

other, whereas Odo the bishop of Baieux, who also was earle of Kent,
bearing great rule in England vnder his nephue king William the
Conquerour, had vsurped diuerse possessions which belonged to the
sée of Canturburie, and had seized the franchises apperteining to the
same Lanfranke, into his owne hands, by sute and earnest trauell he
recouered the same, and being impleaded about that matter by the said
Odo, he so defended his cause, that in the end (though with much adoo)
he had his will, and so remained in quiet possession of his right after
that so long as he liued, without any trouble or vexation concerning the
said possessions and liberties.
Whereas also not onelie Walkhem the bishop of Winchester, but
diuerse other bishops in England were in mind to haue displaced
moonks out of their cathedrall churches, and to haue brought canons
into their roomes, Lanfranke withstood them, and would tollerate no
such dislocation: [Sidenote: Lanfranke praised for holding with the
moonks.] an act at that time so well liked, that he was highlie
commended for the same. [Sidenote: The king giuen to sensuall lust
and couetousnesse.] After Lanfrankes death, the king began greatlie to
forget himselfe in all his dealings, insomuch that he kept many
concubines, and waxed verie cruell and inconstant in all his dooings, so
that he became an heauie burthen vnto his people. For he was so much
addicted to gather goods, that he considered not what perteined to the
maiestie of a king, insomuch that nothing tending to his gaine, and the
satisfieng of his appetite, was estéemed of him vnlawfull, sith he
measured all things by the vncontrolled rule