or it was then that William the
Conqueror having deposed Stigand, the Saxon Primate, invited Lanfranc, the
Abbot of Caen, to accept the vacant see. He "being overcome by the will of
God as much as by the apostolic authority, passed over into England, and,
not forgetful of the object for which he had come, directed all his
endeavours to the correction of the manners of his people, and settling
the state of the Church. And first he laboured to renew the church of
Canterbury ... and built also necessary offices for the use of the monks;
and (which is very remarkable) he caused to be brought over the sea in
swift sailing vessels squared stones from Caen in order to build with. He
also built a house for his own dwelling near the church, and surrounded
all these buildings with a vast and lofty wall." Also "he duly arranged
all that was necessary for the table and clothing of the monks," and "many
lands which had been taken away he brought back into the property of the
Church and restored to it twenty-five manors." He also added one hundred
to the original number of the monks, and drew up a new system of
discipline to correct the laxity which was rife when he entered on the
primacy. He tells Anselm in a letter that "the land in which he is, is
daily shaken with so many and so great tribulations, is stained with so
many adulteries and other impurities, that no order of men consults for
the benefit of his soul, or even desires to hear the salutary doctrine of
God for his increase in holiness." Perhaps the most interesting feature of
his reconstruction of the "regula," or rule for the monks' discipline, was
his enactment with regard to the library and the studies of the brethren.
In the first week in Lent, the monks had to bring back and place in the
Chapter House the books which had been provided for their instruction
during the previous year. Those who had not duly performed the yearly
portion of reading prostrated themselves, confessing their fault and
asking pardon. A fresh distribution was then made, and the brethren
retired, each furnished with a year's literary task. Apparently no
examination was held, no test applied to discover whether the last year's
instruction had been digested and assimilated. It was assumed that
anything like a perfunctory performance of the allotted task was out
of the question.

Another important alteration introduced by Lanfranc was his inauguration
of the system under which the monastery was in i