throne, than he rewarded Odo with the earldom of Kent,
and appointed him his viceroy in England, whilst he
himself crossed the channel, to superintend his affairs
in Normandy. But the mind which was proof against
difficulties, yielded, as too commonly happens, to
prosperity. Nothing less than the papacy could
satisfy the ambition of Odo: he abused the power
with which he was invested in a flagrant manner; and
William, finally, disgusted with his proceedings,
arrested him with his own hand, and committed him prisoner
to the old palace at Rouen, where he continued till
the death of the monarch.—The sequel of
the story is of the same complexion: more plots,
attended now with success, and now with disgrace; till
at length the prelate resolved to expiate his sins
by a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and died on his
journey, at Palermo.—Such was Odo in his
secular character: as a churchman, historians
unanimously agree that he was most zealous for the
honor of his diocese, indefatigable in re-building
the churches which time or war had destroyed, liberal
in endowments, munificent in presents, and ever anxiously
intent upon procuring a supply of able ministers,
establishing regular discipline, and reforming the
morals of the flock committed to his charge.
The Bishop of Bayeux has at all times claimed the
distinction of being regarded the first among the
suffragan bishops of the Norman church. In the
absence of the archbishop, he presides at, the ecclesiastical
assemblies and councils. His revenue, before the
revolution, was estimated at one hundred thousand
livres: per annum. The see, in point of
antiquity, even contests for the priority with Rouen.
From time immemorial, the chapter has enjoyed the
right of mintage; and they appear to have used it
till the year 1577, at which time their coin was so
much counterfeited, that they were induced to recal
it by public proclamation. Their money, which
was of the size of a piece of two sous, was stamped,
on one side, with a two-headed eagle, and the legend
moneta capituli; and on the obverse, with the
letter V, surrounded by the word Bajocensis.
The eagle was probably adopted, in allusion to the
arms of the see, which were, gules; an eagle
displayed with two heads, or[93].—Another
privilege of the chapter was, that no person of illegitimate
birth could be allowed to hold place in it, under any
pretext or dispensation whatever.—Among
their peculiar customs, they imitated that of the
see of Rouen, in the annual election of a boy-bishop
upon Innocents’-day; a practice prevalent in
many churches in Spain and Germany, and notoriously
in England at Salisbury. The young chorister
took the crozier in his hands, during the first vespers,
at the verse in the Magnificat, “He has
put down the mighty from their seats, and has exalted
the humble and meek;” and he resigned his dignity
at the same verse in the second vespers.—The
ceremony was abolished in 1482.
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