164 .dFuncral of t|)e IBttng. 



Stephen, which the king had built, and royally endowed, 

 should be honoured with his sepulchre. But there was no 

 one to give orders concerning the obsequies of him who 

 had been so great on earth ; his sons and brothers, 

 every relation, and all the chiefs who had shared his 

 favours were away. Not one was found even to make 

 inquiry respecting the interment, excepting a poor 

 knight who lived in the neighbourhood, and who 

 charged himself with the trouble and expense of the 

 funeral, " out of his natural good nature, and love of the 

 Most High." Arrangements were made accordingly, 

 and the corpse being carried by water to Caen, was re- 

 ceived by the abbots and monks of St. Stephen, while 

 the inhabitants of the city, having formed a procession, 

 headed by the neighbouring ecclesiastics, proceeded 

 towards the abbey. Suddenly a fire broke out, and 

 each one, whether priest or layman, running to his home 

 or monastery to prevent the spreading of the flames, the 

 brothers of St. Stephen alone remained with the bier. 

 Onward, then, they went, and there was somewhat of 

 funereal solemnity in the last sad act, for mitred abbots 

 in their robes, with bishops and ecclesiastics in their 

 gowns and cowls, stood within the abbey walls, in order 

 to receive the corpse. Mass was then performed, the 

 Bishop of Evreux pronounced a panegyric on him who 

 had borne the name of Conqueror while living, and who 

 had done great deeds among his fellow-men, and the 

 bier on which lay the body of the king, attired in royal 

 robes, and being in no respect concealed from the view, 



