eth to those who began the mass, signifying his desire, that a mass with some other beginning should be chosen, for Letare Jerusalem signifieth joy. And therefore they commence, in a low voice, the sorrowful service "Exsurge, quare obdormis?" Thereupon the brother awaketh, and pondereth with himself over the words, wherein the archbishop said, that he had been dead but was now arisen. And he understandeth this to mean, that his resurrection is his life now in God, although he was dead after the nature of man. Now a clear testimony hath been read concerning the interpretation of that fog which was seen before. But it may be marvelled how it came about, that inferior persons should go at large unabsolved, while the king himself and the greatest murderers were included in absolution. But let William de Traci give answer to this wonder; for if he was beguiled by persuasions, he who was the first to wound the archbishop; what then must have been the case of others, when one, who is a guilty murderer according to the judgment of the law, remaineth in his own hardness of heart, and abideth by the deceitful persuasions of wicked men, who make him believe that he be perfectly sackless? for as yet they were not all dead in England who bore archbishop Thomas malice, although he himself had been cut off from the world. But how many the lord pope deemed guilty of murder through the death of [the archbishop] will now appear from his own letter. K 541. D 1171. Vision of Bartholomew, bishop KAP. LXXXVI. AF HERRA PÁFANS BRÈFI, ER HANN SKIPAÐI SKRIFT.1 3 2 4 Bartholomeus Exoniensis harmaði einkanliga mest af byskupum fráfall hins heilaga Thóme, svá at sorglig of Exeter. hryg tók hann með öllu. par af sýnist honum eina 5 nótt, sem maðr gengi at sænginni með þessum orðum : Hvat hryggvir þik?" sagði hann. Byskup þóttist svara: "Líflát míns virðuligs herra Thóme erkibyskups." Draummaðrinn talar: "Sannliga er hann "frammfarinn af þessi veröld, enn þó lifa með yðr 10 66 armar hans ok hendr." Eftir þat vaknar byskup ok skilur svá sýnina, at armar muni þýðast fyrir hefnd öfundarmanna 6 ok ófriðar, enn hendr til jarteigna ok heilagleiks, þegar glæpi vándra manna rýmdi svá frá, at þær mætti opinberliga skína,10 15 því hefir byskupinn sig nú framm 11 með brèfi herra páfans,12 at hjálpa fólkino, leiðandi 13 þá til iðranar sem sakaðir váro, eftir 14 því formi sem brèfit vottar, þótt mörgum þætti 16 þungt undir at búa, þeim er áðr váro kaldir frá öllum krafti 17 góðra verka. pat herra páfans 20 brèf byrjar svá : Pope Alex 15 Alexander 18 þjónn þjóna Guðs sendir virðuligum directs how bróður 19 Bartholomeo byskupi Exoniensi kveðju 20 ok ander to deal with CHAP. LXXXVI. OF THE LETTER OF THE LORD POPE WHEN HE Among the bishops Bartholomew of Exeter mourned most chiefly for the death of the holy Thomas, so much so even that he was seized by an utter grief. Being in this state it seemed to him, one night, as if a man came up to his bed with these words: "What grievest thou?" said he. The bishop thought he answered: "The death of "the worthy lord archbishop Thomas." The dreamman then said: "In sooth he hath departed from this "world, yet his hands and arms are still living among " you." After this the bishop awaking, understandeth the vision to import that arms must needs betoken revenge on people who bore him malice and enmity, but the hands must point to miracles and saintly deeds, when the crimes of the wicked should be so far removed as to allow such deeds to shine openly. The bishop therefore bestirreth himself, according to a letter from the lord pope, for the salvation of the people, leading to repentance those who were accused of guilt, according to the form prescribed in the letter, hard though many a man found to abide thereunder who had already been bereft of all power to do good works. This letter of the lord pope beginneth thus: Alexander, the servant of the servants of God, to the venerable brother Bartholomew, bishop of Exeter, sendeth 1171. 7 8 5 6 postoliga blezan. Svá sem þat er makligt1 ok sam- greeting and apostolic blessing. It being proper, and consistent with all reason, that all grave cases under canon law should be brought to trial before the apostolic see, we are in duty bound by the solicitude incumbent upon us in pursuance of our office, to solve the same questions according to the understanding given unto us by God, answering each one, who desireth to seek our counsel, that the foresight of the Roman church, to which appertaineth the primacy throughout all the world according to the command of the Lord, bringeth to light that which is hidden, in order that doubt may be removed from the heart of every one. Thy wisdom wrote to us referring those sorrowful things which concern the murder of the holy Thomas, that venerable man, aforetime archbishop of Canterbury; and although we have no doubt, that thou art both prudent and well learned in holy writ, we will yet answer to every clause according to our reason and the provisions of the law. And first we lay down the rule which is known unto thee, that a rightful judge must weigh and consider six things in every case: age and knowledge, sex and condition, hour and place. According to the concurrence of these accidents, judgments must receive their due framing, but not from the outer appearance and fashion of the crime itself; for it may often happen, that all bear not an equal share of guilt in the same crime, although many may have a share in it at one and the same time. Let us first look at the wicked men, who with wrongful persuasions hardened the heart of the king into hatred against the holy Thomas; now it appeareth clearly from the law, that they are worthy of being punished with a severe chastisement, yet one which should not be carried so far |