Fuga sæculi. Or The holy hatred of the world Conteyning the liues of 17. holy confessours of Christ, selected out of sundry authors. Written in Italian by the R. Fa. Iohn-Peter Maffæus of the Society of Iesus. And translated into English by H.H.

Newes commeth to S. Anselme, how K. William was sl•…•…yne, & King Hen∣ry had succeeded. He returnes welcome into England: where after some troubles passed ouer, he dyes blessedly in his Sea of Cāterbury. Chap. 17.

SAint Anselme being arriued now, at Lyons, while he attended to his wonted exercises of vertue, and assisting the Archbishop, & that Diocesse; behold two Monks from England with tydings, that K. William vpon the second of August, being a hunting, was shot through the hart with an arrow, and had presently giuen vp the ghost. Whereat S. Anselme was very sory, & most bitterly lamenting affirmed, he would willingly haue giuen vp his owne life, to haue deliuered his King from so sudden, and dreadfull an end. And a litle after, arriued diuers Posts to S. Anselme, with letters from K. Henry his Successour and the Nobility of England, both Ecclesiasticall, and Se∣cular, intreating him to returne backe againe with all possible di∣ligence, for that the whole Kingdome expected him, with excee∣ding

desire, and that all publique businesses were differred, and put off vntill his comming.

Whereupon S. Anselme without delay, tooke his iourney towards Normandy, and crossing the Seas, the first thing he did, he declared to the new King, in plaine termes, what had lately been determined in the sacred Coūcel of Rome in the matter of inuestitures of Bishops. Whereat K. Henry being greatly troubled made instance to S. Anselme that for reuocation of such a decree, he would returne agayne vnto the Pope, called Paschalis, being newly elected in place of Vrban thē deceased: to which request S. Anselme made answere playnly, that it was not to be sued for, or possibly procured by any meanes; & yet notwithstanding K Henry vrging him, that at least for his satisfactiō he would leade with him, another Embassadour thither, whome for that purpose he determined to send to his Holynes, S. Anselme o∣beyed, and being receiued by the Pope, and the whole Court with great honour, his companion the Kings Embassadour after he had laboured in vayne for that which his Lord pretended, returned into England without effect, and S. Anselme remained in France. for that he heard K. Henry was exceedingly displeased for the ill successe of his affayres in the Court of Rome, and had impioussy seized vpon the Archbishoprike of Canterbury, & despoiled S. Anselme of all his goods.

Howbeit after a while the same K. Henry, being touched with the feare of God, and true pennance, restored S. Anselme into the pos∣session of the sayd Church, and very honorably receiued him againe into peace & grace. Which conuersion of his, how gratefull it was to the diuine M•…•…iesty, did soone appeare by a glorious victory, which he got agaynst his Brother Duke Robert, with other persona∣ges, who had reuolted from him; through which victory K. Henry did remaine absolute Lord of Normandy. And in signe of gratitude, caused a Parlament to be called at London, in which, to the extraor∣dinary consolation of S. Anselme there present, and of all good men, he renounced the custome of his Predecessours, concerning the In∣uestiture of Churches, leauing the free disposition therof to the Pope and his Delegats, shewing him selfe heerin particularly, to be a true and obedient child of the holy Apostolique Sea.

Now S. Anselme, waxing dayly more, and more grieued with old age, and diuers infirmityes, especially of the stomacke, came to such weakenes, as that not being able to celebrate Masse, made him∣selfe to he carryed euery day to the Church to heare the same, and in

short tyme the malady increased so much, as it cleerely appeared, there was litle hope of his life. His benediction then was required by the Bishop of Rochester, for all that were present, as also for the King and Queene themselues, with their children, and the whole Kingdome besides: and he hauing giuen it, with much deuotion most sweetly bowed downe his head, and one of his familiars, ta∣king the Text of the Ghospell, began to recite the Passion of our Lord, and comming to those wordes: Vos estis, qui permansistis me∣cum in tentationibus meis, & ego dispono vobis, sicut disposuit mihi Pater meus, regnum, vt edatis & bibatis super mensam meam, in regno meo; the good Archbishop, began to fetch his breath more thicke then ordinary. Whereupon the standers by, being aware of the approach of his last houre, after the due rites, and Sacraments applyed, taking him in their armes, they layd him downe, according to the manner of those tymes, vpon a Cilice, and Ashes; where he rendred his blessed soule to the Creatour, vpon Wednesday in Holy weeke, in the morning being the 21. day of Aprill, in the yeare 1109. or as o∣thers would haue it 1080. and the 13. of his Bishopricke, and the 76. of his age.

Being afterwards sockt, and reuested with his Pontificall or∣naments, he was decently layd forth in the Church, and buryed with most solemne Exequies, and with the sorrow that behoued, for the losse of such, and so great a Prelate. Many other, and great miracles, besides those that we haue touched, are recounted of him, the which notwithstanding altogether with me, make him not so venerable & worthy of eternall prayse, as two only Qualities which he had, among others, in an excellent degree; to wit, his Discretion, and Assability with all. Most noble vertues without doubt, and such (as we haue sayd) that he aboue all other gifts, should be adorned withall, who desires to haue open, and manifest to him, the Soules and consciences of his subiects, and would seeke by due meanes, to lead them to some good point of Perfection, and Sanctity.