Eider

Eider or Elmer, a monk of Canterbury (12th century), was elected bishop of St. Andrew's, in Scotland, 1120, which office he did not accept for the following reason: "The question of lay investiture of ecclesiastical benefices was then in its crisis; there was a controversy between Canterbury and York for jurisdiction over the see of St. Andrew's; that see, again, asserted its independence of either of the English metropolitans; and Eider seems to have added to all these perplexities a difficulty as to his monastic allegiance. 'Not for all Scotland,' he said to the Scottish king, 'will I renounce being a monk of Canterbury.' The king, on his side, was equally unyielding; and the issue was the return of Eadmer to his English monastery, unconsecrated indeed, but still claiming to be bishop of St. Andrew's. He was made precentor of Canterbury, and died, it is supposed, in January, 1124" (Chambers, Encyclopedia, s.v.). Eadmer is one of the most important of the early English historians. He wrote a history of the affairs of England of his own time, from 1077 to 1122 (Historia Novorum sive sui saeculi), in which many original papers are inserted, and many important facts, nowhere else to be found, are preserved. This work has been highly commended, both by old and modern writers, as well for its correctness as for regularity of composition and purity of style. The best edition is that by Selden in 1623. Eadmer wrote the life of Anselin (generally found printed with his works), and the lives of Wilfred, Oswald, Dunstan and others, given in the Acta Sanctorum, and in Warton, Anglia Sacra (volume 2). The Vita Anselmi is prefixed to Anselm's works (Benedictine edition; also in Migne's Patrologia). The Historia Novorum and Eadmer's minor writings are given also in Migne, Patrologia Latina, volume 159-347 sq. — Hook, Eccl. Biographical 4:52; Cave, History Literature (Geneva, 1720) 1:574; Collier, Eccl. History of Great Britain (Barham's edit.), 2:183 sq.; Wright, Biographical Brit. Lit., Anglo-Norman Period, p. 82 sq.