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The Historical Works of Simeon of Durham, Tr., With Preface and Notes, by J. Stevenson
The Historical Works of Simeon of Durham Tr With Preface and Notes by J Stevenson Author:Simeon General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1855 Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million book... more »s for free. Excerpt: THE HISTORY OF THE UNJUST PERSECUTION OF THE FIRST BISHOP WILLIAM, Inflicted by Kisg William, the Son of the great King William. In the year ten hundred and eighty from our Lord's incarnation,1 when six months and ten days had elapsed after bishop Walcher had been murdered by the inhabitants of his diocese, he was succeeded in the episcopate of the church of Durham by William, who was elected upon the fifth of the ides of November [9th Nov.], and ordained at Gloucester, by archbishop Thomas, upon Sunday, the third of the nones of January [3d Jan. 1081], in the presence of king William, and the bishops of the whole of England. He had been one of the clergy of the church of Baieux, and had assumed the habit of a monk in the monastery of St. Karileph : and he had been, in the first place, prior of the cloister; then chief prior; and, last of all, abbot in the monastery of St. Vincent. At a later period, king William, having discovered his value in the conduct of matters of difficulty, translated him to the bishopric of Durham. He was of a very acute understanding, keen in counsel, endowed with equal eloquence and wisdom. Having read in the Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation, and in the Life of St. Cuthbert, that, as well before as for many years after the period of that father, a convent of monks had served God in this church of Durham, but had subsequently been destroyed in the descent of the Danes, he suddenly resolved to restore to that church its ancient service. By the command of king William, he went to Rome, and truthfully explained to the lord pope Gregory the former and present condit...« less