Page:The reign of William Rufus and the accession of Henry the First.djvu/646

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of Constantius, when the means of getting from place to place broke down through the multitude of bishops who were going to and fro for the endless councils. In the month of October the bishops and great lords at least, if no one else, were brought together for the fourth time this year. This time the place of meeting was Winchester; the day was the day of Saint Calixtus, the thirty-first anniversary of the great battle. We hear nothing of any other business, but only of the renewed petition of Anselm. It is clear that the idea of going to the Pope had seized on Anselm's mind to an unhealthy degree. He could not help pressing it in season and out of season, clearly to the weakening both of his influence and of his position. He made his request to the King both with his own lips—this time he was no defendant—and by the lips of others. The King was now thoroughly tired of the subject; he was now not sarcastic, but thoroughly annoyed and angry. He was weary of Anselm's endlessly pressing a request which he must by this time know would not be granted. Anselm had wearied him too much; he now directly commanded that he should cease from his importunity, that he should submit to the judgement of the court and pay a fine for the annoyance which he had given to his sovereign. The King had an undoubted right to refuse the licence; but it is hard to see why the Archbishop was to be fined for asking for it. By this turn Anselm was again made a defendant. Anselm now offers to give good reasons, such as the King could not gainsay, for the course which he took. The King refuses to hear any reasons, and, with a mixture of licence, threat, and defiance, he