sight of his eies should be put out, but so, as the balles of them should remaine unbroken, for the auoiding of a noisome deformitie that otherwise would ensue, if the glassie tunicles should take hurt.

In his returne out of the holie land, he maried one Sibell, the earle of Conuersans sister in Puglia, hir father hight Roger or Geffrey (as some bookes haue) and was nephue to Robert Guyshard duke of Puglia, and by Iohn Pike. hir had issue one sonne named William afterward earle of Flanders, whereof (God willing) more shall be said hereafter.

Here must I leaue duke Robert, and speake somwhat of Anselme the archbishop, who shortlie after his returne into England, receiued letters from pope Paschall, wherein Anselme was authorised to dispose and order things as should séeme to him most expedient. Now, whereas the greater and better part of the English clergie consisted of préests sonnes, he committed to his discretion the order to dispense with them; namelie, that such as were of commendable life and sufficient learning, might be admitted to the ministerie, as the necessitie of time and state of the church should require. The pope also by the same letters gaue Richard prior of Elie. Anselme authorise to absolue Richard the prior of Elie, vpon his satisfaction pretermitted, and to restore him to the gouernement of the priorie of Elie, if the king thought it conuenient.

1107. About the calends of August, in this yeare 1107, the king held a councell of bishops, abbats, and other lords of his realme in his pallace at London, where in the absence of Anselme, the matter touching the inuestitures of churches, was argued vpon for the space of thrée daies togither, and in the end bicause the pope had granted the homages of bishops and other prelats to the king, which his predecessor Urban had forbidden, togither with the inuestitures; the king was contented to consent to the popes will in forbearing the same. So that when Anselme was come, the king in presence of him and a great multitude of his people, granted and ordeined, that from thenceforth no bishop nor abbat should be inuested within the realme of England, by the hand either of the king or any laie man: on the other side it was granted againe by Anselme, that no person elected into the prelacie, should be depriued of his consecration for dooing his homage to the king.

These things thus ordred, the churches which through England had bin long vacant, were prouided of gouernors, which were placed without any inuestiture of staffe or ring. About this time, Anselme consecrated fiue bishops at Canturburie in one day, archbishop William to the sée of Winchester, Roger that was the kings chancellor to Salisburie, William Warlewast to Excester, Remaline the quéenes chancellor to Hereford, and one Urban to Glamorgan in Wales.

Polydor. Ran. Higd. About this season a great part of Flanders being drowned by an exundation or breaking in of the sea, a great number of Flemings came into England, beséeching the king to haue some void place assigned them, Flemings cōming ouer into England, haue places appointed them to inhabit. wherein they might inhabit. At the first they were appointed to the countrie lieng on the east part of the riuer of Twéed: but within foure yeres after, they were remooued into a corner by the sea side in Wales, called Penbrokeshire, to the end they might be a defense there to the English against the vnquiet Welshmen.

Wil. Malms. ¶ It should appeare by some writers, that this multitude of Flemings consisted not of such onelie as came ouer about that time by reason their countrie was ouerflowne with the sea (as ye haue heard) but of other also that arriued here long before, euen in the daies of William the Conquerour, through the freendship of the quéene their countriewoman, sithens which time their number so increased, that the realme of England was sore pestered with them: wherevpon king Henrie deuised to place them in Penbrokeshire, as well to auoid them out of the other parts of England, as also by their helpe to tame the bold and presumptuous fiercenesse of the Welshmen. Which thing in those parties they brought verie well to passe: for after they were setled there, they valiantlie resisted their enimies, and made verie sharpe warres vpon them, sometimes with gaine, and sometimes with losse.

1108.
An. Reg. 9. A councell. Sim. Dunel. Eadmerus. In the yeare 1108. Anselme held an other synod or councell, whereat in presence of the king, and by the assent of the earles and barons of the realme it was ordeined.