Cambridge Antiquarian Communications Volume 6 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1891 Excerpt: ...bishops, abbots, and proceres as standing by and applauding the proposal. This is based on a mistaken interpretation of Eadmer's Vita II. 1, and was, assuredly, written in ignorance of the Canterbury episode, the subject of Amplification XIV. 4. On col. 1033 A we read "Exigcntibus negotiis quibusdam ecclesiasticis, vir Dei in Franciam veniens a rege HeDrico rogatus in Normanniam progredi rerum suarum tandem a rege C. A. S. Comm. Vol. VI. 17 investituram accepit." This is plainly referable to Eadmer's Vita (n. lvi.); but I cannot think that John of Salisbury would have made so insipid a statement if he had known, on the authority of Eadmer, what it was that had brought St Anselm into France in the summer of 1105; if, that is to say, his copy of the Historia had contained Amplification XXII. 5, He then goes on to say, "Rege autem in Angliam transeunte, post pauca Willelmus Beccum reversus est." This "post pauca" is borrowed from the phrase "in brevi" of Eadmer's Vita (n. lvii.), "Willelmus Angliam ad regem vadit, ac in brevi ad Anselmum regressus" &c: but Eadmer's "in brevi" means only a week or two, whereas John's "post pauca" stretches over an interval of a year. John of Salisbury cannot have had the slightest idea that in the few words "Conversante dehinc Anselmo in Normannia" Eadmer had very cleverly bridged over twelve calendar months during which things had been done and things left undone in a manner far from creditable to the sovereign; but this would have been evident to him had his copy of the Historia contained all that now intervenes between "Hasc autem" and "posse putamus" (MS. pp. 194--204); had his copy, that is to say, contained Amplificatio...