When
the see of Lincoln was vacant, the Archbishop proposed to hold an
ordination in St. Albans Abbey, but was refused permission. During this
Abbot's rule the Pope demanded more than once large sums of money; the
Abbot refused to pay, and in consequence of his refusal the church was
put under an interdict. At this time lived the celebrated monk Matthew
of Paris, to whom we owe much of the knowledge we possess of the history
of the Abbey up to his own days. The Chronicles carry us nearly up to
the end of Abbot John's rule, Matthew himself dying only a year before
the Abbot. For the subsequent history, up to the abbacy of Thomas de la
Mare, thirtieth Abbot, we are indebted to Thomas of Walsingham. Matthew
was born about 1200, and though of English descent derived his surname
from the French capital, either because it was his birthplace, or
because he was a student at its university. He became a monk of St.
Albans on January 21st, 1217. He went with Abbot John of Hertford to
London to be present at the marriage of Henry III. to Eleanor of
Provence, 1236; and again he went to Westminster Abbey for the
celebration of the feast of the founder, on which occasion he was asked
by the King to write an account of the proceedings.
Pages:
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136