Page:The reign of William Rufus and the accession of Henry the First.djvu/453

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archbishopric went together in the King's thoughts as well as in the thoughts of other men. The lord who had spoken answered that, in his belief and in that of many others, the archbishopric was the very thing which Anselm least wished for. The King laughed again, and said that, if Anselm had any hope of the archbishopric, he would clap his hands and stamp with his feet, and run into the King's arms. But he added, "By the face of Lucca, he and every other man who seeks the archbishopric may this time give way to me; for I will be archbishop myself." He repeated the jest several times. Presently sickness came upon him, and, in a few hours, he took to his bed. He was carried in haste from Alvestone to the neighbouring city, where he could doubtless find better quarters and attendance. He lay sick during the whole of Lent; but, unless his sickness began somewhat earlier, the whole of the events with which we have to deal must have been crowded into the first few days of the penitential season. At all events, during the first week of Lent, William Rufus was lying at Gloucester,