opinion is changed now, it is because
many things have changed. No one then thought of teaching a girl
anything, except to sew and to look after the house, and an ignorant
and untrained wife could only be a burden to a man who was intent upon
the growth of the spiritual or intellectual life in himself and in
others. At all times the monks, who were often called the regular
clergy, because they lived according to a certain rule, had been
unmarried, and attempts had frequently been made by councils of the
Church to compel the parish priests, or secular clergy, to follow
their example. In England, however, and on the Continent as well,
these orders were seldom heeded, and a married clergy was everywhere
to be found. Of late, however, there had sprung up in the monastery of
Cluny, in Burgundy, a zeal for the establishment of universal clerical
celibacy, and this zeal was shared by Archbishop Oda, though he found
it impossible to overcome the stubborn resistance of the secular
clergy.

[Illustration: A monk driven out of the King's presence. (From a
drawing belonging to the Society of Antiquaries.)]

18. =Eadwig's Marriage.=--In its eagerness to set up a pure standard
of morality, the Church had made rules against the marriage of even
distant relations. Eadwig offended against these rules by marrying his
kinswoman, AElfgifu. A quarrel arose on this account between Dunstan
and the young king, and Dunstan was driven into banishment. Such a
quarrel was sure to weaken the king, because the support of the
bishops was usually given to him, for the sake of the maintenance of
peace and order. The dispute came at a bad time, because there was
also a quarrel among the ealdormen and other great men. At last the
ealdormen of the north and centre of England revolted and set up the
king's brother, Eadgar, to be king of all England north of the Thames.
Upon this, Oda, taking courage, declared Eadwig and his young wife to
be separated as too near of kin, and even seized her and had her
carried beyond sea. In =959= Eadwig died, and Eadgar succeeded to the
whole kingdom.

CHAPTER V.

EADGAR'S ENGLAND.

1. =Eadgar and Dunstan. 959--975.=--Eadgar was known as the Peaceful
King. He had the advantage, which Eadwig had not, of having the Church
on his side. He maintained order, with the help of Dunstan as his
principal adviser. Not long after his accession Dunstan became
Archbishop of Canterbury. His policy was that of a man who kn