The Witan Meets at Canterbury

THE WITAN MEETS AT CANTERBURY of Rochester, and the massacre of St. Brice's day, and he was fortunate in having an. archbishop too important to be disregarded and wise enough to take an objective view of a very difficult situation. Nor was the second adviser, Bishop Alfheah of Winchester, a less valuable member of the Witan, for this is the famous Bishop Aelfsige who was murdered by the Danes ten years later. He was now aged 48, a man of noble birth accustomed from youth to rule others and, particularly, to discipline himself. It is said of him that he fasted so much that the sun shone through his hands when he held them up in the celebration of Holy Communion. This did not prevent his being a man of affairs and he was the leader of the delegates sent a few years previously to interview Olaf Tryggvason. He persuaded this noteworthy raider to promise never to enter the country again. His fortitude at Greenwich and his refusal to have any ransom raised for him give further evidence of the sort of man he was. The Danes had slain his son only a year before. Of the other ecclesiastical members of the Council less is known. Certainly Bishop Ordbriht of Selsey must have had close knowledge of the Danes for his church, now beneath the waves, was set upon the edge of the sea and was only too near to the Isle of Wight where they were apt to set up winter quarters. This must also have been true of Bishop Godwine of Rochester, who was a national as well as a local councillor. He is a little enigmatic because some years before he had witnessed a Wolverhampton charter with " a placid mind " and also with " a golden mouth and the sign of the Holy Cross ". It is likely that the expression translated " golden mouth " (crisostomo ore), was merely intended to signify that Godwine was an eloquent speaker. In 1012 he shared the captivity of Aelfheah, for he was captured at Canterbury and probably slain or died of ill-treatment soon afterwards. Two other bishops were present, of Sherbourne and Crediton, but httle is known of either of them. Next in importance to the bishops were the three ealdormen, Aelfric, Leofwine and Aelfhelm. These were constantly with the King. Aelfric has an evil reputation but it must be admitted that where a man bears so c'ommon a name there is room for mistakes in identity. He was ealdorman of Hampshire and the West Country generally and was even now in the King's good books although he had ten years earlier been accused of cowardice and treachery. The King could not at that time secure his person so he put out the eyes of his son as a reminder of his annoyance. This was considered, even then, so beastly and vicious a thing for a king to do that the knowledge of it has been preserved by the Chronicler. His second treachery was a year'after this charter was signed when he is said to have betrayed into the power 43