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126 ANNUAL REGISTER

of the saints came to the knowledge of the whole convent, they were greatly surprised and offended, as this was presumptuously done without the concurrence of the convent; for they had proposed (as was proper) to translate these fathers with great and devout solemnity. They therefore summoned the prior, and those who were with him, before the venerable Richard Archbishop of Canterbury, on account of the injury presumptuously offered to them and to the holy patrons of the church. Matters were carried to such a length, that both the prior and those who were with him were very near being obliged to resign their offices; but, by the mediation of the archbishop and other persons of consequence, a proper satisfaction and submission being previously made, the convent was prevailed upon to forgive them. Harmony, therefore, being restored between the prior and the convent on the holy sabbath, the archbishop, in his cope and mitre, went at the head of the convent in their surplices, according to the custom of the church, to the new altar, and, having blessed it, he with a hymn entered the new choir. Coming to that part of the church which is opposite to the martyrdom of St. Thomas, he took from one of the monks the pyx with the eucharist which used to hang over the high altar, which the archbishop with great reverence carried to the high altar of the new choir. The 

other offices of that festival were, as is usual on that day, solemnly and devoutly performed. This being over, the mitred prelate standing at the altar, the bells ringing, begin Te Deum. The convent with great joy of heart joining in the hymn, praised God for the benefits conferred, with shouting hearts and voices, together with grateful tears. The convent was by the flames expelled from the choir, like Adam out of paradise, in the year of God's word 1174, in the month of September, on the fifth date of the month, about nine o'clock.  The convent remained in the nave of the church five years, seven months, thirteen days.  It returned into the new choir in the year of grace 1180, in the month of April, in the nineteenth day of the month, about nine o'clock, on Easter-eve. 

Our architect had built, without the choir, four altars, where the bodies of the holy archbishops were replaced as they were of old, as has been mentioned above: at the altar of St. Martin, * Living and Wilfred; at the altar of St. Stephen, [symbol - cross] Athelard and Cuthbert; in the south crofs, and the altar of St. John, [symbol - double cross] Elfric and Ehtelgar; at the altar of St. Gregory, [symbol - section sign] Bregewin and Phlegemund. Queen Ediva also, who, before the fire, had lain almost in the middle if the south crofs, in a gilt coffin, was re-interred at the altar of St. Martin, under the coffin of Living. Besides this, in the same summer, that is, 

* Archbishop Living died in 1020, Wilfred in 831. The altars of St. Martin and St. Stephen were in the upper north ayle. 
[symbol - cross] Athelard died in 893, Cuthbert in 758. 
[symbol - double cross] Elfric died in 1005, Ethegar in 989. The altars of St. John and St. Gregory were in the upper south ayle. 
[symbol - section sign] Bregewin died in 762, Phlegemund in 923. 
                                                                       of

For the YEAR 1772.     127

of the sixth year, the outer wall round the chapel of St. Thomas, begun before the preceding winter, was built as high as the spring of the arch. The architect had begin a tower on the east side, as it were, without the circle of the wall, whose 1 [?] werarch was finished before winter. The chapel, too, of the Holy Trinity, which was mentioned above, was pulled down to the ground, having hitherto remained entire, out of reverence to St. Thomas, who lay in its undercoft. The bodies also of the saints, which had lain in the upper part of it, were translated to other places; but, left the remembrance of what was done at their translation should be lost, a brief account shall be given of it. On the 25th of July, the altar of the Holy Trinity was broken, and of it was formed an altar of St. Join the apostle. This I mention, left the memory of this sacred stone should perish, because upon it St. Thomas sung his first mass, and afterwards frequency performed divine service there. The shrines too, which were built up behind the altar, were taken down, in which, it is said, St. Odo * and St. Wilfred [symbol - cross] had a long time lain. These saints, therefore, taken up in their leaden coffins, were carried into the choir. St. Odo was placed in his coffin under that of St. Dunstan, and. St. Wilfred under that of St. Elphege. Archbishop Lanfranc [symbol - double cross] was found in a very weighty sheet of lead, in which he had lain from 

the first day of his interment, his limbs untouched, mitred, and pinned, to that hour, namely, sixty-nine years and some months. He was carried into the vestry, and replaced in his lead, till it was generally agreed what was proper to be done with so considerable a father. When the tomb of Archbishop Theobald [symbol - section sign], which was constructed of marble, was opened, and the stone coffin discovered, the monks who were present, thinking that he was reduced to dust, ordered wine and water to be brought, to wash his bones; but the upper stone of the coffin being removed, he appeared perfect and stuff, adhering together by the bones and nerves, and a small degree of skin and flesh. The spectators were surprised, and, placing him on the bier, thus carried him into the vestry to Lanfranc, that the convent might determine what was proper to be done with them both.  Meanwhile the story was divulged abroad, and many, on account of his unusual preservation, stiled him St. Theobald. He was shewn to several, who were desirous to see him, by whom the account was transmitted to others. He was taken out of his tomb, his corpse uncorrupted, his linen garments entire, in the nineteenth year after his death. By the order of the convent he was buried before the altar of St. Mary ||, in the nave of the church, in a leaden chest, the place which he desired in his life-time. A marble

* Odo died in 958. 
[symbol - cross] The body of Wilfred, Archbishop of York, was brought from Rippon, by Archbishop Odo. He died in 710. 
[symbol - double cross] Lanfranc died in 1089. 
[symbol - section sign] Theobald died in 1161. 
|| St. Mary's altar was at the east end of the north ayle. 
                                                                   tomb,