SUMMARY OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER I

Home at Abingdon and School Days at Oxford 1

Parents and Home of St Edmund — Another Account — Birth of St Edmund — His Childhood — Mabel's Solicitude for her Children — At School at Oxford — His Life is saved by a remarkable Providence — The Boy Jesus appears to him — He suffers from Headaches : His Remedy — He dedicates himself before the Statue of the Blessed Virgin.

CHAPTER II

Student at Paris 16

Mabel sends her two Sons to Paris — His Manner of Life as a Student — How he met one who tempted him — St John the Evangelist appears to him — Death of Mabel — He places his Sisters in the Monastery at Catesby, and returns to Paris — His Progress in his Studies after the Death of Mabel — He becomes Lecturer in Arts.

CHAPTER III

Teacher at Oxford 29

He returns to Oxford — Regent in Arts at Oxford — Miraculous Sign of a lost Soul — Mabel appears to him — Student and Teacher of Theology — His devout Exercises — His Charity to poor Scholars and others — He loses his Bible on his Journey to England — He stays at Merton Abbey — He receives Holy Orders — His Success in Lecturing — St Edmund at his Studies — Conflict with the Devil — He sees a Vision — His good Repute — His Charity to his Sick Pupils — How he Spent his Vacations — He is offered Benefices : The Conditions on which he accepts them — He Resigns his Professorial Chair.

CHAPTER IV

Treasurer of Salisbury and Rector of Calne 49

He is elected Treasurer of Salisbury — The Duties of Treasurer : St Osmund's Register — His Manner of Life at Salisbury — Another Account — His Charity to the Poor — He exceeds his Income — His Preaching : The Clouds obey Him — His Appearance when Preaching — He is Commissioned by the Pope to preach the Crusade — His Bible is saved from burning — His Friendship with Ella, Countess of Salisbury : He converts her Husband — She is herself miraculously cured of a Sickness — Incident at Caine : Apparition of the Dead — Consecration of Part of the new Cathedral — Vacancy of the See of Canterbury — Election of St Edmund as Archbishop of Canterbury — Messengers sent to Salisbury — They proceed to Caine — They go to the Bishop of Salisbury — He consents to accept the Archbishopric.

CHAPTER V

Archbishop of Canterbury 74

The Archbishop-elect begins by representing to the King the Grievances of his Subjects — Consecration of St Edmund — The Bishops warn the King a second Time : He promises Amendment — The Archbishop is sent to Wales to make Peace with Llewellyn — The King hears of the Death of the Earl Marshal — St Edmund as Peacemaker — He intercedes for the Brother of the Earl Marshal — Peter des Roches and his Accomplices fall into Disgrace — Mediation of St Edmund — St Edmund's private Life as Archbishop : His Austerities — His great Charity — His Humility — His Hatred of Idleness — His Love of Peace — His Charity to poor Widows — He refuses all Gifts — He appoints St Richard as his Chancellor — Marriage of the King to Eleanor of Provence — The Festivities in London — The Statutes of Merton — The King demands Money and renews the Liberties of Magna Charta — Solemn Ratification of the King's Promise in Westminster Abbey — Arrival of the Papal Legate — Prudent Behaviour of the Legate — The Legate summons a Council — The Council of London.

CHAPTER VI

Archbishop of Canterbury (continued) 117

The Dispute with the Canterbury Monks — The Legate attempts Mediation — The Archbishop offers a Compromise — He leaves England against the Wishes of the Legate — He arrives in Rome — The Monks make Accusations against him — Archdeacon Simon Langton accuses the Monks — Further Opposition to St Edmund — Incidents in Rome — St Edmund returns to England : Visitation of Christchurch Monastery by the Legate — The Monks appear before the Legate — Election of a Prior — St Edmund Excommunicates the Electors — The Archbishop takes Counsel of the Legate and Suffragans — The Rogation Processions — The Citizens of Canterbury complain of the Scandal — The King and the Legate oppose the Archbishop — He is calumniated and oppressed — His Patience towards his Enemies — He takes further Counsel of his Suffragans — The Legate demands Subsidies for the Pope — The Legate over-rides the Archbishop's Decisions — The Archbishop appeals to the Pope — His Visions — He is comforted — He determines to leave England — During his Last Days in England, he works Miracles — His Prophecies — He determines to go to Pontigny — Departure from England.

CHAPTER VII

Exile at Pontigny — Death at Soissy 150

He lands in France : The Queen of the French comes to meet him — Arrival at Pontigny : Fulfilment of St Thomas's Prophecy — His Manner of Life at Pontigny — His Austerities — He is weary of Life — His Sermon to the Monks : He is received as one of the Community — "Speculum Ecclesise" — His Illness increases : He retires to Soissy — His Charity during his last Illness — He receives Holy Viaticum —

Anxiety of his Attendants : He writes a Letter on their Behalf — The Last Day of his Life — His Hair-shirt is miraculously Preserved — His Final Bequests — His Death.

CHAPTER VIII

Funeral of St Edmund — Miracles worked at his Tomb — His Canonisation 167

The Archbishop's Seal is broken — The Body is taken back to Pontigny — The Story of his Ring — The Funeral — Vision of the Monk Herman — The Archbishop of Sens visits Pontigny : The Tomb of St Edmund is opened — The Body is removed to a new Tomb — St Richard — Election of St Edmund's Successor at Canterbury — Miracles at Pontigny and elsewhere — Petition for his Canonisation — The First Inquiry — The Second Inquiry — Opposition to the Canonisation — The Promoters of the Cause are discouraged — Cardinal John encourages Bertrand to further Endeavours — Final Inquiry — Canonisation of St Edmund — King Henry rejoices at the News of the Canonisation.

CHAPTER IX

Cultus of St Edmund — First and Second Translation of the Relics 195

Opening of the Tomb : Letter of St Richard — Solemn Translation of the Relics — Dispute about the Shrine — Second Translation of the Relics — Separation of the Right Arm from the Body — The Gift of Earl Richard — Cultus of St Edmund — Indulgences granted to Pilgrims to Pontigny : Letter of Archbishop Boniface — Leave granted to English Women to enter the Church at Pontigny — King Henry III. visits Pontigny : His Gifts to St Edmund's Shrine — Endowment of Pontigny by the King of England — Death of St Richard — Death of Former Pupils of St Edmund — Death of St Edmund's Sisters.

EPILOGUE

Later History of the Abbey and Shrine at Pontigny 217

APPENDICES

A. — Manuscript and other Authorities for the Life of St Edmund 235

B. — The Family of St Edmund 246

(1) St Edmund's Father — (2) St Edmund's Brothers and Sisters — (3) The Tomb of St Edmund's Mother.

C. — Chronology of St Edmund's Life 25

D. — The Chapel of St Thomas at Pontigny 253

E. — The Present State of the Relics of St Edmund 255

F. — The Arms of St Edmund 257

G. — Expulsion of the Fathers of St Edmund from Pontigny 260

Notes on the Illustrations 261

Index 285

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

(For Notes on the Illustrations , see pp. 261-284)

St Edmund of Canterbury (from a fresco in the Church at Frindsbury, near Rochester) Frontispiece

ABINGDON

General View of Abingdon 1

Abingdon Cross and Church of St Nicholas (Seventeenth Century) 3

Church of St Nicholas and Abbey Gateway (Modern) 4

Ruins of the Abbey — Exterior of Prior's Rooms 6

Ruins of the Abbey — Dormitory 7

St Edmund's Lane 9

The Lonesome Tree 13

PARIS

Cathedral of Notre Dame 16

Church of St Merri 18

OXFORD

Map of Oxford 29

Carving on the Exterior of the Ancient Chapel of the Blessed Virgin 30

Great St Mary's 33

Christchurch Cathedral 37

Remains of the Shrine of St Frideswide 38

Iffley Church 40

Ancient Hospital of St John (from a drawing by Matthew Paris) 43

Tower of St Michael's Church 45

SALISBURY

Salisbury Cathedral (Exterior) 49

Salisbury Cathedral (Interior — Lady Chapel) 51

Tomb of William Longsword 60

Caine Church (Exterior) 70

Caine Church (Interior) 71

CANTERBURY

Consecration of St Edmund (from a drawing by Matthew Paris) 77

St Edmund as Peacemaker (from a drawing by Matthew Paris) 83

Remains of City Walls 92

Westgate 94

Mercery Lane 95

Canterbury Cathedral (Exterior) 97

Canterbury Cathedral (The Choir.) 99

The Patriarchal Chair 101

Marriage of King Henry to Eleanor of Provence (from a drawing by Matthew Paris) 103

Council of London (from a drawing by Matthew Paris) 112

Plan of Christchurch Cathedral and Monastery, Canterbury (from Eadwine's Psalter) 117

Ruins of Christchurch Monastery 118

Treasury of the Church 118

Norman Staircase 119

St Augustine's Abbey — Gateway 121

St Martin's Church 133

Shrine of St Thomas (from an old MS.) 143

PONTIGNY

Bird's-eye View of the Ancient Abbey 150

Abbey Church, Pontigny (Exterior) 152

Abbey Church, Pontigny (Interior) 154

Abbey Church, Pontigny (North Aisle) 154

Monks' Washing-place 156

Soissy 159

Abbey Church, Pontigny — Front, showing Porch 167

Stone of St Edmund's Ring 171

Chapel in which St Edmund was buried 175

Abbey Church, Pontigny — Back View 195

St Edmund's Mitre 205

Shrine of St Edmund (Modern) 217

Tomb of Hugh de Macon 221

Abbey Church, Pontigny — Monks' Choir 224

Abbey Church, Pontigny, Exterior, North Side, showing Remains of Cloister 229

House of the Fathers of St Edmund, Pontigny 233

Facsimile Page of Addit. MS., British Museum 241