boldlie said vnto him; "Whereas thou hast taken me prisoner, it was by méere chance, and not by thy manhood: but if I were at libertie againe, I would so vse the matter with thee, that thou shouldest not thinke I were a man so lightlie to be laughed at." "No should (saith the king); Well then I giue thée thy libertie, and go thy waies, doo euen the worst that lieth in thy power against me, for I care not a button for thée." Helias being, thus set at libertie, did nothing after (to make anie account of) against the king, but rather kept himselfe quiet. Howbeit some Hen. Hunt. Polydor. write, that he was not taken at all, but escaped by flight. To procéed king William being returned into England, and puffed vp with pride of his victories, and now séeing himselfe fullie deliuered from all troubles of warre, began after his old manner to spoile and wast the countrie by vnreasonable exactions, tributes and paiments.

Variance betwixt the king and the archbishop Anselme. Herevpon fell a great controuersie betweene Anselme and the king, who pretended a reproch of cruell surcharging of his commons with subsidies, lones, and vnreasonable fines: but the cheefe cause was, for that he might not call his synods, nor correct the bishops, but all to be doone as the king would. The king also chalenged the inuestiture of prelates, and indéed sore taxed both the spiritualtie and temporaltie, spending the monie vpon the reparations and buildings of the Tower, & Westminster hall, as is before remembred. Besides this, his seruants spoiled the English of their goods by indirect meanes: but especiallie one Rafe sometime chaplaine vnto William the Conquerour, & at this time the kings proctor and collector of his taskes and subsidies was so malicious & couetous, that in stéed of two taskes, he would leuie thrée, pilling the rich, and powling the poore, so that manie through his cruell dealing were oftentimes made to forfeit their lands for small offenses: and by his meanes also diuerse bishoprikes were bought and sold as other kinds of merchandizes, whereby he was in singular fauour with the king. The The clergie out of order. clergie also were vsed verie streightlie, and (as I suppose) not without good cause; for suerlie in those daies it was far out of order, not onelie in couetous practises, but in all kinds of worldlie pompe and vanitie: for they had vp bushed and braided perukes, long side garments verie gorgeous, gilt girdels, gilt spurs, with manie other vnséemelie disorders in attire. To be short, the contention grew so hot betwixt the king and Anselme, who would also haue corrected such vices in the Matth. Paris. clergie (as some write) that in the end the archbishop was quite cast out of fauour. There are which alledge the verie first and originall occasion of their falling out to be, for that the archbishop denied to A thousand markes demanded of Anselme. paie a thousand marks of siluer at his request; in consideration of the great beneuolence shewed in preferring him to his sée, whereas the archbishop iudged the offense of simonie, to rest as well in giuing after his promotion receiued, as if he had bribed him aforehand, and Eadmerus. therefore refused to make anie such paiment: but yet (as Eadmerus writeth) he offered him fiue hundred pounds of siluer, which would not be receiued, for the king was informed by some of his councell, that the archbishop (in consideration of his bountious liberalitie extended towards him) ought rather to giue him two thousand pounds, than fiue hundred, adding, that if he would but change his countenance, and giue him no fréendlie lookes for a while, he should perceiue that Anselme would ad to the first offer, other fiue hundred pounds. But Anselme was so far from being brought to the kings lure with such fetches, that openlie to the kings face he told him, that better it should be for his maiestie to receiue of him a small summe granted of him with a free and franke hart, so as he might helpe him eftsoones with more, than to take from him a great deale at once, without his good will, in such sort as if he were his bondman. For your grace (saith he) may haue me, and all that is mine, to serue your turne with fréendlie beneuolence: but in the waie of seruitude and bondage you shall neither haue me nor mine. With which words the king was in maruellous choler, and therewith said in anger: "Well then, get thee home, take that which is thine to thy selfe that which I haue of mine owne I trust will suffice me." The archbishop béeing on his knees, rose herewith and departed, reioising in his mind that the king had refused his offer, whereby he was deliuered out of suspicion to haue bribed the king, and giuen him that monie in waie of reward for his preferment to the miter, as of malicious men would happilie haue béene construed. Wherevpon béeing after laboured to double the summe he vtterlie refused, and determining rather to forsake the Matth. Paris. realme than to commit such an offense, made suit to the king for licence to go to Rome to fetch his pall of the pope. The king hearing the pope The king could not abide to heare the pope named. named, waxed maruellous angrie: for they of Rome began alreadie to demand donations and contributions, more impudentlie than they were hitherto accustomed. And as it chanced, there was a schisme at that time in the church, by reason the emperor Henrie had placed a pope of his owne aduancing, (namely Wibteth archbishop of Rauenna) against pope Urban: for the emperor mainteined that it belonged to his office onlie to elect and assigne what pope it pleased him.

King William therefore conceiued displeasure against Urban, who withstood the emperours pretense, and alledged by the like, that no archbishop or bishop within his realme should haue respect to the church of Rome, nor to anie pope, with whome they had nothing to doo, either by waie of subiection, or otherwise; sith the popes wandered out of the steps which Peter trode, séeking after bribes, lucre, and worldlie honor. He said also that they could not reteine the power to lose and bind, which they sometime had, since they shewed themselues nothing at all to follow his most vertuous life and holie conuersation. He added furthermore, that for himselfe, sithens the conuersion of the realme to the christian faith, he had as great authoritie, franchises and liberties within the same, as the emperour had in his empire. And what hath the pope then to doo (quoth he) in the empire, or in my kingdome touching temporall liberties, whose dutie it is to be carefull for the soule of man, and to sée that heresies spring not vp, which if the prelates of the prouince be not able to reforme, then might the pope doo it, either by himselfe or his legats. Againe, by reason of the schisme, & for the displeasure that he bare pope Urban, he asked Anselme of which Eadmerus. The kings demand to Anselme. pope he would require his pall, sith he was so hastie to go to Rome for it. Wherto Anselme answered, that he would require it of pope Urban. Which words when the king had heard, he said, I haue not as yet admitted him pope: adding further that it was against the custome vsed either in his or his fathers time, that anie man within the realme of England should name or obeie anie man for pope, without the kings licence and consent, saieng moreouer, that if the said Anselme would séeke to take that prerogatiue and dignitie from him, it should be all one, as if he should go about to take awaie from him his crowne, and all other roiall dignitie. Wherevnto Anselme answered, that at Rochester (before he was consecrated bishop) he had declared his mind