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MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER
The flowers of history, especially such as relate to the affairs of Britain. Vol. II. A.D. 1066 to A.D. I307.

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MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER
The flowers of history, especially such as relate to the affairs of Britain. Vol. II. A.D. 1066 to A.D. I307.
page 574



all bis property, and kept three days in prison. Afterwards, he returned to Rome, and being there moved by indignation and distress of mind, he a short time afterwards died. Edward, king of England, had his treasury plundered by a single robber in England, for which ten monks of Westminster were unjustly imprisoned. But as it was a thing unheard of in the history of the world, since the peace of the church had been spread over the whole earth, that false Christians, who call themselves Christians and are not so, should have committed so monstrous a crime against the supreme pontiff, it is not sufficient to say, for the knowledge of future generations who will be born hereafter, " Pope Boniface was stripped of all his goods, and a most audacious robber by himself secretly entered the treasury of the king of England," unless the manner and form in which each crime was perpetrated is also set down. And again, the thoughts of men are always more inclined to evil than to good ; so when the imprisonment of ten monks, for a matter concerning the treasury of the king of England, is heard of, a wicked idea of suspicion at once enters men's minds. And when their innocence is not declared, the hearer rejoices in the insults offered to them, and does not cease to insult them with abuse. And so the future generations which are to be born and arise, unless an express statement is made on the subject, will either accuse the men of that day. of remissness and inactivity, or, what is still more terrible to be said without examining into the cause, they will think that the monks were guilty of the crime. Therefore it is necessary to set forth the circumstances connected with their imprisonment. (Those who were alive when these things were done, were not yet with the disciples of Jesus when he was tempted by the devil, who were at length, after many and various oppressions and tribulations, visited by the Lord.) Those who will be born many generations hence, will very probably say, it is contained in the king's annals, that ten monks were imprisoned by him because of an affair connected with his treasury. This is an idea of horror ; an idea I suspect at once of evil. For when any one is imprisoned, there arises at once the reproach, this man was either disobedient to the commands of his prince, or a violator of the king's peace. And the answer is as follows : " 0 thou doubter, the voice of the chnrch complains over thee, bring hither thy finger, and recognize the place of the nails,


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