XXIX. ELSIN,* or ELFSY.

SUCCEEDED A. D. 1015.-DIED A. D. 1032.

Rudborne, and the other chroniclers, are so confused in their dates in this part of the history, and the former so repeatedly contradicts himself, that it is quite impossible to arrive at any degree of chronological ex

actness.

Bishop Godwin calls this Prelate, Chaplain to King Harold; and says, the latter appointed him Bishop of Winchester: but this is impossible, as Harold was not King 'till 1036: and, moreover, the Bishop died in 1032. Yet the same author, in defiance of chronology, says he was translated to Canterbury in 1038, which was six years after his decease. The Eadsin, therefore, who was Archbishop of Canterbury, was a different person.

The Saxon Chronicle thus records the death of this Prelate, and the succession of the next: "A. D. MXXXII. The same year died Elfsy, Bishop of Winchester, and Elfwin, the King's priest, succeeded him."+ The same fact is also asserted in the Annal. Petrob. &c.

XXX. ELFWIN, or ALWIN.

SUCCEEDED A. D. 1032.-DIED A. D. 1047.

"King Canute," says Rudborne, "in the 18th. year of his reign, and A. D. 1033, appointed Alwyn Bishop after the death of Ethelwold." This is evidently a mistake, the name Ethelwold having been inserted instead of Elsin. The authority of the Saxon Chronicle is far preferable to that of Rudborne. The former, both places the succession of our Prelate a year earlier, and calls his predecessor by his right name.

Alwyn was a man of family, and related to Queen Emma, who was committed to his care by Richard, Duke of Normandy, when he sent her into England to be espoused to King Etheldred. He was a warrior, and had been

* Written also, Alsin and Eadsin.

+ Ingram's transl. p. 206.

appointed to preside over the province of Southampton, and fought bravely against the Danes. Rudborne, (Hist. Maj. Wint. Ang. Sac. vol. 1. p. 233.) says, he was created Earl of Southampton. But this creation is not noticed by Dugdale (Baronage, vol. 1, p. 16) who only names, under the old Earls of Southampton, Osric, who enjoyed that honor so early as 860; Elfegus, who died 981; and Alfelme, in the reign of Canute, who married the Earl's daughter Ailiva, mother of King Harold.

Preferring an ecclesiastical to a military life, Alwyn exchanged the sword for the cowl, at the conclusion of the peace between Edmund Ironside and Canute, and became a Monk of St. Swithun's. Bishop Ethelwold himself, from respect to his connexions, investing him with the cowl of St. Benedict. He afterwards became Sacristan, and in the nineteenth year of his Monkhood, he was appointed, as Rudbome expressly states, by the King himself, and at the desire of Queen Emma, to the Bishopric of Winchester.-A fact, particularly worthy of observation, as incontestibly furnishing another instance, and that on the authority of a Roman Catholic Historian, that the Holy See," as yet, laid no claim to the right of appointing to vacant English Bishoprics, by "papal provision.

*

For some political reason, with which the old Historians do not condescend to make us acquainted, Robert, afterwards Archbishop of Canterbury, the then favorite of the monarch, published a calumnious report against Emma, the mother Queen; charging her with a criminal connexion with our Prelate, as well as being accessary to the death of her Son Alfred, and throwing impediments in the way of the succession of Edward the Confessor. The ground work of the base insinuation which formed the first charge, was, no doubt the great friendship and regard which subsisted between the Bishop and his royal ward. The Archbishop, at the order of the King ('præcipiente rege') convened a Synod, and it was determined (adds my author, though the older historians are silent on the point,) that the Queen should undergo the test, so usual in that superstitious age, of the fiery+ ordeal.

"Per Knutonem Regem in Episcopatum ordinatus est."

+ The word ordeal is derived from or great, and deal judgment. Ordeal was of four kinds. 1st, By red hot iron, either held in the hand

To this test she gladly assented, and walked over nine red-hot plough shares, which were placed on the pavement in the nave of Winchester Cathedral, without suffering the least injury from them. Malmesbury, Huntingdon, Hovedon, and Simeon of Durham, have not recorded this extraordinary event. But Ralph Higden, a writer of the 14th Century, in his Polychronicon, relates it at length; and it is also transmitted by the more recent historians. The Saxon Chronicle, though it speaks of the harsh conduct of the Confessor, towards his mother Emma, (see A. D. 1043) says nothing of the ordeal.

Wharton in his Hist. Engl. Poetry, vol. 1. p. 89, says, that in the year 1338, (about three centuries after the fact) when Adam de Orleton, Bishop of Winton, visited his Cathedral Priory of St. Swithun in that city, a minstrel, named Herbert was introduced, who sung the tale of Queen Emma delivered from the ploughshares', in the hall of the prior. Alex. de Herriard. He cites as his authority MSS. in Archiv. Wolvesey. Wint. The event, if it took place at all, must have taken place between 1043 and 1047, the former being the period of Edward's Consecration as King; (Sax. Chron. A. D. 1043) and the latter, the time of the demise of Bishop Alwyn, who was present at the ordeal. This delivery of Queen Emma was, it seems, the fortunate means of enriching Winchester Cathedral with no less than twenty-one manors. The King having conferred on it three, Queen Emma nine, and the Bishop nine. Rudborne thus particularizes their several donations: The King (Edward the Confessor) gave Portland, Wykhelewelle, [Wyke Regis.] and Waymuthe. Queen Emma gave Brandesbury, Bergefeld, Fyffhide, Hoghtone,

or walked upon with the feet, bare. 2nd, By boiling water, into which the person accused was to plunge his arm. 3rd, By cold water, inte which the suspected party was thrown. 4th, By duel. These several modes of impiously tempting God, were repeatedly sanctioned by the laws of the Kingdom, as may be seen in Brompton's Collections; such was the blind superstition of that age. Bishop Milner makes a remark upon this unchristian judgment, which if it did not proceed from a Roman Catholic, one must suppose emanated from one not sound in the intellect. Being practised with an upright mind and lively faith, there is no doubt, but the Almighty did frequently interpose in behalf of innocence." But of this, I beg to doubt, nor does "the authentic history" to which the learned Historian of Winchester alludes, at all remove my scepticism. King James I., who as a Protestant Monarch, ought to have known better, revived some of these foolish and impious practices.

Mychelmeryshe, Ivyngeho, Wycombe, Weregravys, and Haylynge. The Bishop gave Stoneham, East and West Meone, Hentone, Wytneye, Yelynge, Mylbroke, Polhamptone, and Hodyngtone. As for the ploughshares, they received an exemption from future duty, being buried in the West Cloister of the Cathedral. The whole of this ridiculous story, is treated by Bishop Godwin, with merited contempt. "Quae de Emma purgatione referuntur fabulæ (ne dicam aniles) monachales," p. 57.

I find nothing else in the ancient memorials of this Bishop except that he gave £1500 sterling to the Cathedral. He died in the year 1047, having sat Bishop here 15 years.

“A. D. MXLVII. "This year died Elfwine, Bishop of Winchester, on the 4th day before the calends of September." Sax, Chron.

Bishop Godwin thus speaks of his burial place: "Sepultus acet supra parietem presbyterii, ubi tumulo ejus epitaphium vidimus adscriptum hujusmodi,

Hic jacet Alwini corpus qui munera nobis

Contulit egregia, parcito Christe rogamus."

His Editor, Richardson, adds in a note "Sepultus fuit primitus in crypta ex parte australi summi altaris, nunc vero positus in Sacrifago plumbeo super osteum illius cryptæ."

XXXI. STIGAND.

SUCCEEDED A. D. 1047.-TRANSLATED TO CANTERBURY A. D. 1052.-DEPRIVED And Died 1070.

The Saxon Chronicle (Ingram's Translation) thus records Stigand. "A. D. 1043, (p. 213) Stigand the Priest was consecrated Bishop over the East Angles;" and (eod: an: p. 19), "Soon after this, Stigand was deprived of his Bishopric." " 1044, (p. 215), Stigand returned to his Bishopric." "1047, (p. 216) This year, died Elfwine, Bishop of Winchester, on the 4th day before the Calends of September; and Stigand, Bishop of Norfolk, was raised to this See." "1052, (p. 239) Stigand succeeded to the Archbishopric of Canterbury.' "1058, (p. 249) Pope Benedict sent him the Pall."

The Sax. Chron. is silent as to Gryncetel's procuring by means of bribing the Judges, the ejection of Stigand from Elmham, as will afterwards be noticed.

This Prelate was first chaplain to Queen Emma, (Dart. Hist. Cant. fo. 115) and afterwards to King Harold Harefoot. He gained the Bishopric of Elmham, by simony in 1038 according to Matthew Westm. (p. 210) and Florentius, though Godwin (p. 212) erroneously

says 1043.

For having sided with the King, he was subsequently, when Hardicnute obtained the crown, ejected from his Bishopric, in 1040, by Grimketel, (Matt. Westm.) who held it with the See of the South Saxons. Hardicnute, who succeeded his brother Harold in that year, turned out most of his brother's friends, but dying in two years time, the scene was changed, Hardicnute's friends were ejected and Harold's restored; when Grimketel being in his turn ejected, our Prelate was restored, and made chaplain to Edward the Confessor: for in a register of Bury, as Blomefield the Historian of Norfolk observes, it is said that Edward the Confessor, in the first year of his reign came to Bury, and then gave Mildenhall manor to that Monastery. Soon after which, Stigand his chaplain, was made Bishop of the East Angles, to whom they granted that manor for life: and he held it all the time he was Bishop, and after he was Archbishop of Canterbury. He by way of retaliation, got the Bishopric of the South Saxons to be taken away from Grimketel, and the administration of it committed to himself: and so governed both Sees to 1047. And then at the death of Alwin, Bishop of Winchester, he took that See, leaving this to his brother Egelmare. Rudb. His. Maj. p. 239. He sat at Winchester five years; and then Robert, Archbishop of Canterbury being banished, he seized that See in 1052, Robert being alive, and not deposed; and held it with Winchester. Godwin says he was a man of very great spirit, though very illiterate, and exceedingly covetous; for after Robert's death, he held both Sees till William the Conqueror conquered all the land except Kent: the people of which county, by Stigand's advice,

Qui prius, data pecunia, fuerat Epus Helmhamensis ac deinceps Wintoniensis.-Matt. Paris, vol. 1. p. 7.