Covstaiiiiiw of Flrmy. 289 



in reference to the kings of P'rance. The bishops who took part 

 in this council finally united in condemning Arnulf. Among them 

 was Arnulf of Orleans. But of the abbots at Verz}', two in 

 particular stood out against the decision of the bishops, and one 

 of these two was Abbo of Fleur3\ There seems to be no doubt 

 that on this occasion Alibo was solely actuated b}^ a desire to 

 strengthen the power of the Pope in matters pertaining to church 

 government. Yet the practical result of his attitude was to increase 

 the friction between him and the bishop of Orleans, in the other 

 part}-. For some years the community of Fleury and the bishop 

 of Orleans had been at loggerheads about certain properties. Under 

 Oilbodus a dispute had arisen over the revenue of a vineyard near 

 Orleans.^ Later, perhaps before the council ofVerzy, but certainly 

 not by many months, as Abbo himself was on the way to Tours 

 to celebrate St. Martin's festival, he was attacked by the bishop's 

 men and lost some of his retinue in the fight. 2 To compose this 

 difficulty the authority of the kings of France was needed. -"^ On 

 the other hand, in 992 or 993, an outbreak of monks occurred at 

 a council held at St. Denis, an outbreak which Arnulf accused 

 Abbo of fomenting. So it is perfectly clear that no love was lost 

 between these neighbors, dignitaries of the Church.* 



Now when we take into consideration that the condemnation of 

 Arnulf of Rheims by the bishops assembled at Verzy led to the 

 elevation of Gerbert to the archbishopric — an elevation which the 

 papal party claimed to be illegal — we readily understand how the 

 private quarrels of i\bbo and Arnulf of Orleans might affect the 

 career of a friend of Gerbert, who was under Abbo's rule, and who 

 objected to it. And we might fairly assume that the transfer of 

 Constantine from Fleury to St. Mesmin was a direct result of all 

 this bickering. The promotion may have followed at once on the 

 council of Verzy, and Constantine may have become firmly estab- 

 lished in his new office by the end of 992. 



How long was he allowed to exercise his prerogatives in peace ? 

 We do not know. Gerbert's letter of 997 asks for sympathy. It 

 does not condole. But this letter was occasioned by a disquieting 

 trip of Abbo to Rome, whence we may conclude that not only 

 Gerbert, but Constantine as well, was kept on the alert by the 



1 Miracles de St. Benoit, ii, C. 19 (p. 124). 



2 Vita S. Abbo}7is, by Aimoin, loc. cit., col. 394. 



* Reciieil des historiens des Gaules, etc., vol. x, p. 561 (diploma of 993). 



* See r. Lot, op. cit., p. 184, n. 1. 



Trans. Conn. Acad., Vol. XV. 19 Jdly, 1909. 



