the gouernment of the sea of Canturburie. This Lanfranke (as should
seeme) was a wise, politike, and learned prelate, who whilest he
liued, mollified the furious and cruell nature of king William Rufus,
instructing him to forbeare such wild and outragious behauiours as his
youthfulnesse was inclined vnto: and moreouer persuaded the English to
obey the same king as their loiall prince, whereby they should
occasion him to be their good lord and king, not vsing them
rigorouslie as his father had doon. So that Lanfranke could not well
haue beene spared in the time of the rebellion, without great danger
of subuerting the state of the commonwealth. He builded two hospitals
without the citie of Canturburie, for the releefe of poore people and
strangers, the one of S. John, the other at Harbaldowne. He aduanced
the church of Rochester from foure secular clerkes, to the number of
fiftie moonkes: [Sidenote: _Matth. Westm._ Paule abbat of S. Albons]
he repaired Christes church in Canturburie, and the abbey of S.
Albons, whereof he made one Paule that was his nephue abbat, which
Paule gouerned that house by his vncles assistance greatlie to the
aduancement thereof, as well in temporall as spirituall preferments,
as it was then iudged. Likewise the said Lanfranke was verie fortunate
in the gouernement of his church and sée of Canturburie, recouering
sundrie portions of lands and rents alienated from the same before his
daies, insomuch that he restored to that sée 25 manors. [Sidenote:
_Eadmerus._] For amongst other, whereas Odo the bishop of Baieux, who
also was earle of Kent, bearing great rule in England vnder his nephue
king William the Conquerour, had vsurped diuerse possessions which
belonged to the sée of Canturburie, and had seized the franchises
apperteining to the same Lanfranke, into his owne hands, by sute and
earnest trauell he recouered the same, and being impleaded about that
matter by the said Odo, he so defended his cause, that in the end
(though with much adoo) he had his will, and so remained in quiet