a great deal of wisdom and
authority. His largest work is a commentary upon the
Epistles of St. Paul; which is sometimes not very faithfully
quoted by Peter Lombard. His treatise in favour of the real
presence, in opposition to Birenger, is one of his most
remarkable performances. His letters "are short and few, but
contain in them things very remarkable." Du Pin's
_Ecclesiastical History_, vol. xi., p. 12, &c., edit. 1699.]

[Footnote 248: _Polychronicon_, Caxton's edit., sign. 46,
rev.]

[Footnote 249: _Polychronicon._ Caxton's edit., fol. cccvj.
rev. Poor Caxton (towards whom the reader will naturally
conceive I bear some little affection) is thus dragooned
into the list of naughty writers who have ventured to speak
mildly (and justly) of Anselm's memory. "They feign in
another fable that he (Anselm) tare with his teeth Christ's
flesh from his bones, as he hung on the rood, for
withholding the lands of certain bishoprics and abbies:
Polydorus not being ashamed to rehearse it. Somewhere they
call him a red dragon: somewhere a fiery serpent, and a
bloody tyrant; for occupying the fruits of their vacant
benefices about his princely buildings. Thus rail they of
their kings, without either reason or shame, in their
legends of abominable lies: Look Eadmerus, Helinandus,
Vincentius, Matthew of Westminster, Rudborne, Capgrave,
WILLIAM CAXTON, Polydore, and others." This is the language
of master Bale, in his _Actes of Englyshe Votaryes_, pt.
ii., sign. I. vij. rev. Tisdale's edit. No wonder Hearne
says of the author, "erat immoderata
intemperantia."--_Bened. Abbas._, vol. i., praef. p. xx.]

And here you may expect me to notice that curious book-reader and
Collector, GIRALD, _Archbishop of York_, who died just at the close of
the 11th century. Let us fancy we see him, according to Trevisa,[250]
creeping quietly to his garden arbour, and devoting his midnight
vigils to the investigation of that old-fashioned author, Julius
Firmicus; whom Fabricius calls by a name little short of that of an
old woman. It is a pity we know not more of the private studies of
such a bibliomaniac. And equally to be lamented it is that we have not
some more substantial biographical memoirs of that distinguished
bibliomaniac, HERMAN, bishop of Salisbury; a Norman by birth; and who
learnt the art of bo