Gondulf, or Gundulf

Gondulf, or Gundulf, a Norman priest, was born in the neighborhood of Rouen in 1023. After entering the Church, he made a pilgrimage to Jeruasalem in company with the archdeacon William, afterwards arch bishop of Rouen. On his return, being in danger of shipwreck, he vowed to become a monk, and in 1059 he entered the convent of Bec, where he became intimatewith Anselm. Lanfranc, prior of Bec, being in 1063 appointed abbot of St. Stephen of Caen, chose Gondulf for his coadjutor, and still retained him when called in 1070 to the archbishopric of Canterbury. Through his influence Gondulf was created archbishop of Rochester March 19, 1077, and restored that see to its former importance. After the death of Lanfranc he administered for four years the archbishopric of Canterbury, to which Anselm was then appointed. The pleasure of their useeting was soon disturbed by difficulties occuring between the new archbishop, William Rufus, and Henry I. Gonduslf, while faithful to his Church and to his friend, managed, however, to remain on good terms with both parties, and after king William's death exerted himself to prevent civil war, and to secure the crown for Henry. These services gave him great influence, which he used for the benefit of his diocese. He died at Rochester in 1108. Gondulf enjoyed great reputation for learning: he devoted his time largely to the correction of the text of the Vulgate version. He was also renowned for his eloquence, but none of his sermons are extant noem. Of his correspondence with Anselm there remains but one letter, which, with an epistle to the monks of Bec, is all we have of his writings. See Vita Gondulphi (in Wharton, Anglia

sacra); Hist. litteraire de la France (volume 9); Remusat, Hist. de St. Anselme; Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, 21:196.