The caution he
had exercised was justified by the conduct of the Ely monks; for they,
thinking that the bones they had were really those of St. Alban, at
first refused to return them, but at last consented to do so. The bones,
however, that they sent back were not those they had received. It is
plain that these old monks were not always to be trusted to behave in an
honourable manner when precious relics were concerned. The chronicler,
however, who tells the story, considers the conduct of the monks of St.
Albans in sending spurious relics was "pious," while the behaviour of
the monks of Ely was "detestable and disgraceful"--but then the
chronicler was a monk of St. Albans. AElfric bought the royal palace of
Kingsbury and its land near the Abbey, demolishing the whole of the
palace except one tower. AElfric in 995 was promoted to the office of
Archbishop of Canterbury.
11. #Leofric.#[10] This Abbot was half brother to AElfric. During a great
famine he spent large sums in the relief of the poor, devoting to this
purpose even some of the treasures that had been got together for the
rebuilding of the church, and many gold and silver vessels assigned to
his own use in the Abbey.
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