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Lawrence of Durham (died 1154) was a 12th-century English prelate, Latin poet and hagiographer. Born in southern England, at Waltham in Essex, Lawrence was given a religious education, and excelled at singing and poetry composition. In his youth Lawrence joined Durham Cathedral Priory and became a Benedictine monk. In the 1130s Lawrence became a courtier of Geoffrey Rufus, bishop of Durham. After the latter's death, Lawrence was a leading opponent of William Cumin, claimant to the vacant episcopate during the first half of the decade, and suffered brief exile from the monastery. After Cumin's defeat and the accession of William de Ste Barbe, Lawrence became sub-prior and then prior of Durham. During his lifetime as a monk of Durham, Lawrence wrote several important works in Latin, including the ''Dialogi'', the ''Hypognosticon'', and a hagiography of Saint Brigd for Ailred of Rievaulx. ==Life and career== Lawrence was born at Waltham, Essex, a place that Lawrence claimed was renowned for its poets.〔Raine, ''Dialogi'', pp. xxvii, 40–41; Lawrence-Mathers, ''Manuscripts'', p. 144; Rigg, "Durham, Lawrence of"〕 A date of around 1114 has been suggested for his birth, but this is uncertain; other potential dates put forward include c. 1110 and c. 1100.〔Rigg, "Durham, Lawrence of"; Rigg, ''History of Anglo-Latin Literature'', p. 54〕 Growing taller than average, he was educated at the church of Waltham Abbey, the church of the Holy Cross, before entering Durham Cathedral Priory as a novice during the episcopate of Ranulf Flambard (bishop of Durham, 1099–1128).〔Raine, ''Dialogi'', pp. xxviii–xxix, 43–44; Rigg, "Durham, Lawrence of"〕 Two teachers of the Waltham school—''Athelard'' and his son Peter—are known from this era, and it is likely that one of them was Lawrence's instructor.〔Raine, ''Dialogi'', p. xxviii〕 Waltham, originally founded by in the first half of the 11th century, had been a property of Durham from the episcopate of Walcher until its acquisition by Queen Matilda early in the reign of Henry I.〔Knowles and Hadcock, p. 178; Lawrence-Mathers, ''Manuscripts'', p. 144, Rollason, ''Libellus'', p. 212, n. 94〕 According to his own account, he continued his education at Durham, learning the trivium and quadrivium, with Virgil, Plato and Plotinus among his favourite authors.〔Lawrence-Mathers, ''Manuscripts'', pp. 144–45〕 If Lawrence's own testimony is to be believed, he was held in high acclaim in his early years for his poetry and fine singing.〔Rigg, "Durham, Lawrence of"〕 In Lawrence's time as a teacher, he may have taught Ailred, later abbot of Rievaulx.〔 Lawrence took up a place in the bishop's court during the episcopate of Geoffrey Rufus (1133–1141).〔 Probably an episcopal chaplain, Lawrence was cantor and may have held the post of receiver general in Bishop Geoffrey's exchequer.〔Rigg, ''History of Anglo-Latin Literature'', p. 59; Raine, ''Dialogi'', p. xxix〕 After Bishop Geoffrey's death, one of Geoffrey's former courtiers, William Cumin, arranged to have himself made the new bishop.〔Young, ''William Cumin'', pp. 11–12〕 Although winning support from most local potentates (though notably not Robert de Conyers), Cumin failed to secure the consent of the monastic chapter or the archdeacon, who insisted on a canonical election.〔Young, ''William Cumin'', pp. 14–15〕 For two years William had the support of earl of Northumberland Henry and his father the Scottish king, along with other Matildines, making his struggle for recognition part of The Anarchy, the wider struggle between Stephen de Blois and the Empress Matilda for the throne of England.〔Young, ''William Cumin'', pp. 12–14〕 Cumin lost most of this support by the end of 1142, neutralising the dispute, and in 1143 William de Ste Barbe was elected at York as the new bishop.〔Young, ''William Cumin'', pp. 20–21〕 Cumin subsequently seized the priory and ejected the monks, including Lawrence.〔Young, ''William Cumin'', pp. 11, 22〕 Lawrence's opposition, as expressed in his writings, was vehement, and he has been described as "one of the most persistent opponents of Cumin".〔Young, ''William Cumin'', p. 11〕 Subsequently, Lawrence rose in station within the hierarchy of the priory. Lawrence held the office of sub-prior (prior ) by November 1147.〔Knowles, Brooke and London, ''Heads of Religious Houses'', p. 43; Le Neve, ''Fasti'', p. 33〕 Following the death of Prior Roger〔Udo Kindermann,Zum Brief des Bernhard von Clairvaux an Prior Roger, in: Analecta Cisterciensia 26 (1970), S. 248–252〕 in either 1148 or 1149, Lawrence took over the leadership of the priory itself, and is named for the first time in such capacity in 1149.〔Knowles, Brooke and London, ''Heads of Religious Houses'', p. 43; Le Neve, ''Fasti'', pp. 33–34〕 As prior of Durham, the most important ecclesiastical office in the diocese after the bishop, he remained until his death.〔Knowles, Brooke and London, ''Heads of Religious Houses'', p. 43; Le Neve, ''Fasti'', pp. 33–34; Rigg, "Durham, Lawrence of"〕 Lawrence died on either 16 March or 18 March 1154.〔 Lawrence had gone to Rome to seek confirmation of the election of Hugh du Puiset as bishop of Durham, the replacement of William de Ste Barbe who had died in 1152.〔Le Neve, ''Fasti'', p. 30; Rigg, "Durham, Lawrence of"〕 It was on his return, while in a French town, that illness took him.〔 His body was later taken and buried at Durham.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Lawrence of Durham」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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