ing the rebuilding. The King at once made an inventory of all his possessions and devoted the value of one-tenth to the new work, a generous gift when it is remembered that he had remitted the Danegelt, (a tax whereby the Danes had been appeased), which formed a large proportion of an English sovereign's wealth at this time.

"Now he laid the foundations of the church
With large square blocks of grey stone:

Its foundations are deep,

The front towards the east he makes round,

The stones are very strong and hard:

In the centre rises a tower,

And two at the western front,

And fine and large bells he hangs there:

The pillars and entablature

Are rich without and within,

At the bases and the capitals
The work rises grand and royal.
Sculptured are the stones
And storied the windows.
He makes there a cloister
A chapter house in front

Towards the east, vaulted and round."

The monastic buildings seem to have been completed in 1061, and late in the year 1065, the church itself was finished "from the apse to the west front." The King endowed the foundation with many fair villages, including Pershore in Worcestershire, and with rich manors and lands, "so that the place will never know want if things are managed honestly.'

*Roman de Rou.

The King also granted the Abbey a charter of privilege, and in order to give the charter especial sanctity, sent it to Rome in charge of four ambassadors, Aldred, Archbishop of York: Tostig, son of Earl Godwin: Walter, Bishop of Hereford, and Giso, Bishop of Wells, to obtain the papal Bull of confirmation from Nicholas II.

It is of much interest to note that the credentials included a request that the new church "as a place appropriate for the inauguration of our kings as well as to render it perpetual for the monks of the order of St. Benedict should be subject to no jurisdiction but that of the king." And in response to this request, the Bull issued by the pope "discharged the monastery from all episcopal authority and visitation. and also set it apart for a burial ground which may be exempt from the payment of the usual dues; and appointed the king to be the patron of the Abbey."

Thus Westminster has been a Royal Peculiar from the first, and its unusual position in the diocese is as old as the Confessor's time.

The church was complete, as Sulcard, writing soon after, says, "to the very porch," in 1065, and extensive preparations had been made for its dedication on Holy Innocents Day, December 28th. The

King and Queen had prepared very choice and rich gifts: gold and silver plate for the altars, beautiful vestments of silk, some embroidered by the Queen's hand, for the priests, and jewels and many relics, all carefully brought together and arranged by the King's own white hands for the day to which he had eagerly looked forward.

For the convenience of the King and his nobles, the Midwinter Gemot had been appointed to meet at Westminster instead of Gloucester, as had been the custom, and arrangements had been made for splendid festivities in church and palace. But the spirit of the King had been greatly perturbed at this time, by the revolt in Northumbria against the oppressions of Tostig, and he was weighed down with sorrow. In October, we are told, his soul was sick and weary and as the weeks went on, he became very ill. Yet he bravely made a struggle to fulfill his duties: wore his heavy royal robes and his crown, in state on Christmas day, according to custom, and presided at other festivities on the two following days.

On Holy Innocents Day, appointed for the dedication, he could no longer endure his pain and weariness. Feebly he gave directions to Queen Editha and bade his