Literary cadet and Rhode-Island statesman. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1827-1829, 1828-03-08

when he saw his passion had ended IN DIS
play so impotent. "If,' se said, ~" the woun-
ded vanity of the old doiard can be thus allie
waited, be il even so. My good Lord Robert
Of Orleans, pluck, pray thee, that episcopal
staff away, and keep il for thy pains"
The Norman monk descended from his scat,
and proceeded with alacrity TO seize upon the
symbol Of his new honors, hut he might as ca
silly with his single arm have uprooied the oak
from It's firm foundations, as have removed the
staff from the place in which TIE hand OF
Wustan had planted il. Death" cried the
King, foaming with passion, have our Nor
man proates such girish muscles, that they
cannot unseat the planting Of that old drvel-
ler's arp. My Lord Archbishop bring me
the staff
Lanfranck, u man apparently Of superior
strength to Wulstan, and OF fewer years, then
appro, rhed toe tomb, hat his efforts were AS
| unavaillng as those of his oro,her monk. The
king with a mixture of wonder and contempt
IN his countcnance, deridsd their imbecie tf-
forts, ard promised at l-ngth, to confer the
b shopric upon which ever of tho cccesias'ics
could remove the sta.. The reverend fathers,
one and all, laboured painfully, and no doubt
with hearty good will, but all at opgh were
obliged to abandon the task in despair.
The King, -inccnsed almost TO madness,
leapcd from his thrcne, and approaching the
tomb, seized the silver staff in his own Hercu-
lean gasp. Il shook in his sinewy hand, but
10 remove /. from its place seemed impossible.
The big drops darted from his brow, and he
gaspod for breath with the violence OF his ca
ertions before he reIinqushed his hold:
Walstan who had resumed his seat. now
again approa ched the tomb Of King Edward,
and taking the staff into his hand, removed II
as easily as Sampson broke his mana ces -
The whole assembly seemed panic struck
for a moment they gazcd all in breathess ST.
lencc, and then " a mira Gle! mirac cle!" was
shouted out by eyory one present. Some of
the populace, who had passed into the aisles
Of the Abbey. cried, q" Blessed be the memory
OF the good King Edward honor TO his ser
want Wulstan!' and the cry was caught and
echoed by the assembled crowd without. until
the arches Of the Abbey rang with its rcyerbe-
ratons.
"Tho will Of heaven be done" said the
Conquoror, approaching Wulstan, Keep, my
Lord of Worcester, the pastoral stall which
your hand has borne SO loag with honor, and
may God pardon US for having listened 20 evil
counscllors who wero plotting the destruction
of ono of his most faithful servants"
The foregoing, is not altogether fictitious;
the facts which it intends to deineate, are
recorded by Hume, and occurred in tie year
1910, at the time that william the Conquoror,
sat upon the throne, and cat timo when 'lhe
doctrine which exalted the papacy, above all
human power, had gradually dtliised i,seffrom
the city and cour, Of Rome; and was, during
that age, much more prevalent in the south
ern. than in the northern kingdoms of Eu-
ropa.
Pope Alexander, who had assisted William
in his conqucsts, naturally expected that the
French and Normans would import into Eng
land the same reverence for his sacridotal
character. with which they were impressed in
their own country; ard would break The spir-
iual as well as the civil independency Of the
Saxons, who had hitherto conducted their |
ecclesiastical government, with an acknowl- |
edgcmcnt indeed, OF pr;macy III the see Of |
Rome, but without much idea Of is title TO |
as the Norman Prince sHcmod fully establish |
ed on the throne, the Pope dispatched Ernon-
foy, Bishop Of Sion, as his Lcgale into Eng |
land; and this prelatc was the first that had !
ever appeared with that character, in ny part |
of the British Islands. The King, though he |
was probably led by principle TO pay s.bms-
sion TO Rome, determined, as is usual, 10 en- !
ploy the incident as u means Of serving his |
political purposes, AID of degrading those
English Prclates who had become oilens!ve 10 !
his royal presence. The lcgate consented TO
become the instrument Of his testimony; and |
thought that the more violent the cxcrton |
of power, the more certainly did it con- |
iirn the authority Of the ourt from which |
hs derived his commission. He summon |
Cd therefore, council Of prcatcs and |
a, bots at Winchester; and berg assisted !
by two cardinals, Potter and John, he cited |
before him S,igand Archbishop of Cantorbury, !
10 answer for his conduct Tho Psimatc was
accused ofihrce crimes; the holding OF The See |
Of " Winchester, together with thar Of Caster |
bury; the officiating in tho pal! Of Robert his !
predecessor, and the having received his own |
pail from Benedict TX. who was afterwards !
deposed for Simony, and for intrusion into the
pap,cy. These crimes Of stig,ad, were mere
prctcnces; since tho first had been a practice,
not unusual in England. and was never AIRY
whore subjected 10 higher penalty, than
res gnaton Of one Of the Sees; the second was
pure cerer onal; and as Bencdictwas The
only pope who then ofIicia,ed, and his acts
were never repealed, all the prelaies OF the
church especially those vi ch lay al distance,