MarginaliaEx epist. Ansel. 327
An other letter.YOur worship complaineth of the sacraments of the church, that they are not made euery where after one sort, but are handled in diuers places after diuers sorts. And truely if they were ministred after one sorte and agreyng through the whole church: it were good and laudable. MarginaliaDiuersitie of vsages in the church, to be borne wyth peace, rather then to be condemned with offence Diuers customes in the church hurt nothing.Yet notwithstandyng, because there be many diuersities which differ not in the summe of the sacrament, in the strength of it, or in the fayth, nor els can be gathered into one custom: I thinke that they are rather to be borne, with agrement in peace, than to be condemned with offence. For we haue this from the holy fathers, that if the vnitie of charitie be kept in the catholique fayth, the diuersitie of customs hurt nothing. But if it be demaunded whereof this diuersitie of customes do spring: I perceiue no other cause therof, but the diuersitie of mens wits. Which although they dffere not in strength and truth of the thyng: yet they agre not in the fitnes, and comelines of the ministring. For that which one iudgeth to be meeter, oftentimes an other thynketh lesse mete: wherfore not to agre in such diuersities, I thinke it not to swarue from the truth of the thing, &c.

Then in the story it followeth after long debating and discussyng of these matters in the councell, when they had geuen forth their determination vpon the same: MarginaliaExcōmunication denoūced against the Grecians. Excōmunication bent agaynst K. William.
First breake hys head, and then geue him a plaster.And the Pope had blasted out hys thundring excommunications against the Grecians and all that toke their part: at length was brought in, touchyng the complaintes and accusation agaynst the king of England. Vpon the hearyng wherof, Pope Vrbane with his adherentes was redy to procede in excommunication against the kyng. But Anselme knelyng before the Pope, after he had first accused hys kyng, then after obtayned for hym longer tyme to be geuen vpon further triall.

Thus the councell breakyng vp, the Pope returnyng agayne to Rome, directeth down hys letters to the kyng: commaundyng hym that Anselme with all hys partakers (in spedy wise) should be reuested agayne into his archbishopricke, and all other possessions therunto appertayning. MarginaliaMessage betwene the kyng and the Pope.To this the kyng sendeth aunswer agayne by messengers, who commyng to the Pope, declared in the kinges behalfe on this wise. That the kyng their maister dyd not a little meruaile what came in hys mynd, to commaund Anselm to be reuested and resaised agayne into hys former Archbishopricke, seyng he told hym before plainly, that if he went out of England without hys leaue, he would so do vnto hym. Well sayth the Pope, haue ye no other matter against Anselmus but onely this? No, quod they. And haue ye taken all this trauell (sayth the Pope) to come hether so farre to tell me thys, that the Primate of your countrey is therfore seased and dispossessed, because he hath appelled the sea & iudgement Apostolicall? MarginaliaA loude cracke of thunder but without a thunderbolt.Therfore if thou louest thy Lord, speede thee home and tell hym, if he will not be excommoned, that he quickly reuest Anselme agayne, to all that he had before. And lest I make thee to be hanged for thy labour, loke to thy terme: and see that thou bring me answer agayne from him into this citie, agaynst the next Councell the third weeke after Easter. The messenger or speaker beyng somwhat astonied at the hearyng of this so tragicall aunswer: thinkyng yet to worke somethyng for his kyng and maister: came secretly to the Pope, saying þ^t he would conferre a certaine mysterie from his kyng priuately with hys holinesse betwene them two. MarginaliaA bribing mystery hādled at Rome.What mysterie that was or what there passed from the kyng to the pope & the courte of Rome, myne author doth not shew. But so cunningly þ^e mysterie was handled: that with a full consent both of the Pope and all the court of Rome, a longer day was geuen (from Easter to Michaelmas) and the Popes colerike heat so asswaged: that when the councell came (which thē was holden at S. Peters church in Rome) MarginaliaConcilium Romanū. Optimus causidicus nummus.albeit great complaintes were there denounced agaynst the kyng: yet such fauour was found, that he toke no harme. Onely the sentence of excommunication was there pronoūced against suche lay persons as gaue inuesture of churches, and them that were so inuested. Also against them that do cōsecrate such or which geue themselues in subiection to lay men for ecclesiasticall liuings, as is before touched, &c.MarginaliaActes of the coūcell of Rome.

This councell beyng finished, the Archbishop seyng the vnstedfastnes of the Pope (which pleased hym but a little) tooke his iorney to Lions: where he continued hys abode a long tyme, til the death first of Pope Vrban, thenafter of the kyng.

MarginaliaThe hardines or rather rashnes of K. William.Of this king William, many things be diuersly recorded, some to his commendation, and some to his discommendation: whereof this is one which some wyll ascribe to hardnesse, but I rather to rashnes in hym. As this kyng vpō a tyme was in his disport of hunting: sodenly worde came to hym, that Cenourona (a citie in Normandy) was besieged. The kyng without longer tarying or aduisement, toke the straight way toward the sea side, sendyng to hys lordes, that they should follow after. They beyng come to hys presence, aduised hym to stay, till the tyme his people were assembled, but he would not be staied: saying that such as hym loued (he knew) would follow him shortly, & so went to take ship. The shipmaister seyng the weather so darke and cloudie, was afraid and counselled the kyng to tary till the wynde did turne about, and the weather more fauourable. MarginaliaThe saying of K. Wiliā how he neuer knew any kyng drouned.But the kyng persisting in his iourney, commaunded hym to make all the speede he might for his lyfe (saying) that he neuer heard, that any king yet was euer drowned. And so passed the sea in safetie, and came to Normandy.

MarginaliaThe death of Wiliam Rufus.The. xiij. yeare of his raigne the sayd kyng William, hauing the same tyme in hys hand three byshoprickes, Cant. Wint. and Sarum: also. xij. Abbeyes in ferme: As he was in hys disport of hunting in the new forest, by glaunsing of an arrow (shot of a knight named Walter Tyrell) was wounded to death: and so spechles was caried to Westminster, and there was buryed. MarginaliaWalter Tirrell.
The new forest.Where also is to be noted, that Richard the cosen Germayne of K. William, and sonne to Duke Robert hys brother, was likewise slaine in the foresayd forest. MarginaliaExample of the iust hand of God reuēging the faultes of kinges in their posteritie.See the iust hand of God vpon kynges, vsurpyng wrongfully vpon other mens groundes, as did William Conquerour their father, in making this newe forest: pluckyng downe diuers churches & townships, the cōpasse of. xxx. myles about. Here therfore appeareth, that although men can not reuenge, yet God reuēgeth either in them, or in their posteritie. &c. This kyng, as he alwayes vsed Concubines, so left he no issue legitimate behynde hym. Hys lyfe was such, that it is for a story: that shoulde tell truth, to say, whether he was more to be commended, or reproued. MarginaliaCouetousnes noted in K. William. A famous example of bribes refuted.Among other vices in hym, especially is to be rebuked in hym vnmeasurable and vnreasonable couetousnes: in so much that he coueted (if he might) to be euery mans heire. This one example of a liberall and princely nature I finde in hym: that vpon a tyme, where a certayne Abbot of a place was dead, there came to his court two Monkes of the same house: who before had gathered much money, and made their frendes to the kyng, and offered large offers eyther of them to be promoted to that dignitie. MarginaliaTwo bribing mōkes both disapointed.There was also the third Monke of the same place, which of meekenes and humilitie followed the other two: to the intent that vpon hym þ^t the kyng had admitted for Abbot, he should geue attendance, and as his chaplayne to haue with hym returned. The kyng called before him the two mōkes seuerally, of whome the eyther outprofered the other. As the kyng cast his eye aside, he espyed the third monke standing by, supposing that his comming had bene also for the like cause. Then the king callyng hym, asked what he would doe, whether he would geue more then his brethren had offred, to be Abbot. He answered the kyng, and sayde: that he neyther had (nor would if he might) offer any peny for it, by any such vnlawfull meane.

When the kyng had well pondred thys third monkes answere, he sayd that he was best worthy to be Abbot, and to haue the rule of so holy a charge: and so gaue vnto hym that benefice without taking any peny.

MarginaliaVrban excommunicated
Henry the 4. Emperour.Vrbanus B. of Rome (who, as is sayd succeded after Victor) ruled the Church of Rome, about the space of. 12. yeares: and among his other actes, he excommunicated the Emperour Henricus þ^e fourth of that name, as a man not much deuout to that see of Rome: But yet a worthy and victorious prince he was, in whom albeit some vice perchaunce might be noted: yet none such, wherfore any prelate or minister of Christ, ought to excite hys subiectes to rebell agaynst publike authoritie of God appointed. MarginaliaHenry the 4. Emperour, by 4. Popes excommunicated.Thys Emperour Henricus the iiij. was by. 4. Popes seuerally excommunicate: first by Hildebrand, by Victor, Vrbanus, and Paschalis. Which excommunication wrought so in the ignoraunt and blynde hartes of the people, that many (as well of the nobles, as of the multitude, contrary to their sworne alleagiance) rebelliously conspired agaynst theyr kyng and Emperour. MarginaliaLudouicus erle conspiring and rebellious agaynst the Emperour.In number of whom, among the rest was one certayne earle named Ludouicus: to whom Waltramus Bishop of the Church of Mergburgh (a godly and a faythfull man, as appeareth) doth write letters of fatherly admonition, exhorting and instructing hym in the