The rich writings of William of Malmesbury provide many materials on his thoughts of kingship and counsellorship.Many scholars emphasised the cooperation between successful kings and their ecclesiastical advisors in W...The rich writings of William of Malmesbury provide many materials on his thoughts of kingship and counsellorship.Many scholars emphasised the cooperation between successful kings and their ecclesiastical advisors in William's works,but royal counsellors are a bigger group,and a clear and systematic analysis of the relationship between kingship and counsellorship in William's works is still absent.This article examines the literary tradition on counsel and counsellors before the twelfth century and William's own interpretations of kingship and counsellorship.William inherited the previous emphasis on the personal qualities of royal counsellors and the necessity of clerical oversight,but he also showed new concerns over the secular counsellorship,which modified the traditional religious discourse.Furthermore,his various ways of describing the relations between counsellors and kings demonstrated the interplay between kingship and counsellorship.The strong,humble king and the wise,righteous counsellors,whether from the Church or secular nobles,together achieved an equilibrium and constructed the ideal political structure in William's thoughts.展开更多
文摘The rich writings of William of Malmesbury provide many materials on his thoughts of kingship and counsellorship.Many scholars emphasised the cooperation between successful kings and their ecclesiastical advisors in William's works,but royal counsellors are a bigger group,and a clear and systematic analysis of the relationship between kingship and counsellorship in William's works is still absent.This article examines the literary tradition on counsel and counsellors before the twelfth century and William's own interpretations of kingship and counsellorship.William inherited the previous emphasis on the personal qualities of royal counsellors and the necessity of clerical oversight,but he also showed new concerns over the secular counsellorship,which modified the traditional religious discourse.Furthermore,his various ways of describing the relations between counsellors and kings demonstrated the interplay between kingship and counsellorship.The strong,humble king and the wise,righteous counsellors,whether from the Church or secular nobles,together achieved an equilibrium and constructed the ideal political structure in William's thoughts.
