Chapter 11

Of the animosities of the adversary party, and the privileges of the Church.

So as time went on the clerics who were to live under regular rule were shortly brought together in that place, Rahere holding the office of prior and abundantly ministering necessaries to them, not indeed from fixed revenues but from the offerings of the faithful. And not long after, lo, the thing he feared befell him, and what he dreaded happened to him; to some he became the odour of life unto life, to others the odour of death unto death. For some said 'he is a deceiver', because in the net of the great fisherman evil fish are mixed with good until the hour of the last Judgement; those of his household became his foes and there arose against him wicked men-but wickedness deceives itself. Therefore, stimulated by envy, some secretly -- many even openly -- ceased not to rage against the man of God and to disparage the place itself and the prelate thereof, to bring calumnious charges, to terrify with threats, to take away what goods they could, to oppress with baseness, to weary with wrong, to provoke with abuse and to beset with feigned friendships. Some of these broke out into such bold madness and mad boldness that they entered into an alliance of wicked conspiracy among themselves, as to on which set day and at which place they might deceive him with guile and subtlety and admit to their Council the man of God, and when present might take him by stealth from the path of life and thus altogether destroy his memory from the earth. But there is no wisdom [Eccles ix 10], no knowledge, no device against the Lord on whom he was casting his thought, and in whom, with His apostle, he put his strength. So He, who was his Hope, became his Strength and for his sake overcame his foes. Meantime, while the day appointed for the destruction of the innocent is awaited, one of them who was a partaker in this great treason, and in his guilt shuddering at the unheard of sin, before the hour of the impending danger fully disclosed to the servant of God the substance of the whole plan. He thereupon gave thanks to God and to his patron, that the secrets of his foes were not hid from him and, by the help of his piety, he had escaped the death prepared for him.

For these and similar reasons that came to light, again he approached the king and with lamentable complaint urged how with false reproaches he was disgraced, and how the outbreak of scorn tried him; and prayed that he would deign to protect his person and the place appointed him by royal bounty. He also suggested to him that he could look for no reward of God who began a good work and did not bring what he had begun to its proper completion. Wherefore, by the bowels of Christ's pity on which he trusted, by the might of his dignity, by the eminence of his power, let him open to the desolate his heart of pity, let him honour God in his servants, let him restrain the yelping madness of the faithless, and thus, combining better issues with good beginnings, build for himself an eternal mansion in heaven, while he respected the House of God on earth. And so the king, marvelling at the man's prudence and constancy, answered that he granted his just and necessary petitions, and pledged himself to be thenceforward the guardian and defender of him and his. Therefore, he presented the church, and all things belonging thereto, with the same liberties with which his crown and the freest church in England were possessed, and granted to it the customary rights; and he decreed that it should be free from all earthly service, jurisdiction, and submission, and gave very sharp sentence against the conspirators. These and many other tokens of liberties he granted to the prior and to those serving under him and to the aforesaid church, and confirmed them by his charter under a seal, adjuring all his heirs and successors in the Name of the Holy Trinity that they should uphold and defend this place with their royal authority, and should grant and confirm the liberties gained by him. Satisfied with such privilege, he joyfully came out from before the face of the king. And coming to his own people he made known what he had obtained of the king's majesty, to some that they might rejoice with him, to others that they might be afeared. Also the same venerable man had purposed to lay a complaint of his misfortunes before the Apostolic Chair and, God's grace helping him, to bring back therefrom writings which should profit himself and those who should come after him. But various hindrances arising on this side and on that, and at length the moment of death threatening him, he was not able to fulfil what he wished, and so deserved praise only for his good intention. But after his decease, three men of the same society (whose memory be blessed) went to the heads of the See of Rome, each to one, and by the three grants which they brought back thence from three pontiffs, namely the Saints Anastasius, Adrian, and Alexander, they rendered this church glorious with this triple dowry and defended it against hostile attacks as it were with an impenetrable shield. Behold, the prophecy of the most blessed king and confessor Edward, so long time before foretold of this place, is now at length seen to be in great part fulfilled. For behold, this church holy and beloved of God shines forth with manifold glory, endowed and founded by heavenly promise, exalted with exceeding many grants from most famous men, and for a crown of praise and glory dowered with many relics of saints and beautified with very numerous signs of heavenly virtues.

 

The Book of the Foundation of St. Bartholomew's, Smithfield Rendered into Modern English from the original Latin version preserved in the British Museum, numbered Vespasian B. IX, by Mr. Humphrey H. King and Mr. William Barnard for use in the Records of St. Bartholomew's Priory by E.A. Webb.

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