avid's in Wales, by David, successor to Dubritius, and uncle to King
Arthur, in the 519 of Grace, to the end that he and his clerks might
be further off from the cruelty of the Saxons, where it remained till
the time of the Bastard, and for a season after, before it was annexed
to the see of Canterbury.

The Archbishop of Canterbury is commonly called the Primate of all
England; and in the coronations of the kings of this land, and all
other times wherein it shall please the prince to wear and put on his
crown, his office is to set it upon their heads. They bear also the
name of their high chaplains continually, although not a few of them
have presumed (in time past) to be their equals, and void of
subjection unto them. That this is true, it may easily appear by their
own acts yet kept in record, beside their epistles and answers written
or in print, wherein they have sought not only to match but also to
mate[1] them with great rigour and more than open tyranny. Our
adversaries will peradventure deny this absolutely, as they do many
other things apparent, though not without shameless impudence, or at
the leastwise defend it as just and not swerving from common equity,
because they imagine every archbishop to be the king's equal in his
own province. But how well their doing herein agreeth with the saying
of Peter and examples of the primitive church it may easily appear.
Some examples also of their demeanour--I mean in the time of popery--I
will not let to remember, lest they should say I speak of malice, and
without all ground of likelihood.

[1] Overcome.

Of their practices with mean persons I speak not, neither will I begin
at Dunstan, the author of all their pride and presumption here in
England....

Wherefore I refer you to those reports of Anselm and Becket
sufficiently penned by other, the which Anselm also making a shew as
if he had been very unwilling to be placed in the see of Canterbury,
gave this answer to the letters of such his friends as did make
request unto him to take the charge upon him--

_"Secularia negotia, nescio, quia scire nolo, eorum namque
occupationes horreo, liberum affectans animum. Voluntati sacrarum
intendo scripturarum, vos dissonantiam facitis, verendumque est ne
aratrum sancta ecclesia, quod in Anglia duo boves validi et pari
fortitudine, ad bonum certantes, id est, rex et archepiscopus,
debeant trahere nunc ove verula cum tauro indomito jugata,