Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries

DKATH OF WILLIAM RUFUS.
aim. The feudal system in particular lent a power-
ful arm to State encroachments. Homage was of
two kinds, simple and liege. All that remained
lawful to churchmen after Pope Urban's decision
was the former-that is, the doing homage " for the
temporalities of a see or church preferment. Anselm,
therefore, who had refused investiture from the lied
King on his consecration, but who had become his
" man" in virtue of the existing state of things,
would be unable to give a similar homage to
William's
successor.
The personal conduct of the King was well known
to the Pope. " Over and over again has his life been
a subject of complaint to the Apostolic See," was
Urban's comment. Yet the sword of excommunication
was averted the Primate's intercession.
Anselm had no doubt reason to fear the very worst
if the most formidable spiritual weapon should be
used under actual circumstances. "With his courtier
suffragans in his mind's eye .he may have foreseen
the apostasy of the whole kingdom.
Whilst a dire widowhood had fallen on Canter-
"
bury in the lifetime of its pastor, and the estates of
the see were confiscated and oppressed by the lied
King, the persecutor was overtaken by death midway
on his course. Forlorn ignominy was the only
shroud of the royal corpse, which was found in a
pool of blood in the New Forest one August evening
during the first year of a new century (1100).
Anstlni was on his way back from Rome, though not
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