He was passionately fond of art, and
encouraged its exercise among the monks, so that the illuminated
missals of Bramber were highly prized, and added largely to the
revenues of the monastery.
The prior had been one of the monks at Waltham, and owed his elevation
to the influence of Earl Harold with the late thane of Steyning.
He was well taught in all the learning of the day, and having been
for a time at Westminster, knew more of court life than the majority
of the priors of isolated monasteries, and could suit his conversation
to his hearer. Harold had said in his letter, "The lad has good
parts. He is somewhat full of mischief, and has got into a scrape
here by a quarrel with a Norman page, and by failing somewhat in
the respect due to William of London, who took his compatriot's
part with too much zeal. But Wulf is shrewd, and benefited greatly
by his stay at Waltham, and both for the lad's own sake and for my
friendship with the good thane, his father, I would fain that he
grew up not only a sturdy Englishman, as to which I have no manner
of doubt, but one who may some day play his part at court, and be
a worthy friend and counsellor of an English king. Therefore I pray
you, father, to keep an eye on the lad, and spare him what time you
can from your duties. Tell him not that I have written to you, for
it is the nature of youth to be averse to anything that looks like
guardianship."
Such a request from Earl Harold was regarded by the prior as an
order, and a few days after Wulf was installed at Steyning the prior
rode over on his palfrey, accompanied only by the almoner of the
convent.
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