De Iniusta Vexacione Willelmi Episcopi Primi
De Iniusta Vexacione Willelmi Episcopi Primi is a late 11th-century historical work detailing the trial of William de St-Calais, a medieval Norman Bishop of Durham from 1081 to 1096. It is the first surviving detailed account of an English trial before the king, and as such is an important source for historians.
| De Iniusta Vexacione Willelmi Episcopi Primi | |
|---|---|
| Of the Unjust Persecution of the Bishop William I | |
| Language | medieval Latin |
| Date | early through second quarter 12th century |
| Provenance | Durham Cathedral |
| Manuscript(s) | Bodleian MS Fairfax 6 |
| Bodleian MS Laud misc 700 | |
| Hales MS 114 | |
| Cotton MS Claudius D IV | |
| Harley MS 4843 | |
| Durham Bishop Cosins Library MS V ii | |
| Principal manuscript(s) | Bodleian MS Fairfax 6 |
| First printed edition | Monasticon Anglicanum, first volume, 1655 |
| Genre | Legal account |
| Subject | Account of the trial of Bishop William de St-Calais |
| Period covered | 1080–1096 |
The work consists of three sections, an introduction, a central section that details the trial itself, and a conclusion. The introduction and conclusion summarise St-Calais' career before and after the trial. Although the authenticity of the main account has been challenged in the past, most historians consider it a contemporary record of the trial. Six manuscripts containing the work survive, and it was first printed in 1655, with other editions, including translations, appearing after that.