These were the holy men whom the Lord chose
for Himself to be
a seed, the founder of our family, the plant by which He should
Himself be glorified.(26)
[‘Foundation history of Fountains’ (Narratio)]
The group
of thirteen monks who fled from St Mary's included a number of
leading members of the community, such as the prior,
sub-prior, sacrist,
and precentor.(27) Given
the hastiness of their departure, the monks left in only the clothes
they were wearing.
They had no other possessions and were completely dependent on
Archbishop Thurstan,
who assumed the combined role of patron, adviser and host.
They [Gervase and Ralph]
yielded to the temptation returned to their flesh-pots and by turning
back became a stumbling block to their friends and a scorn to their enemies.
[‘Foundation history of Fountains’]
Whilst
staying with Thurstan the monks received threats
from Abbot Geoffrey, warning them to return to St Mary’s.
All except two remained resolute. The foundation history reports
that Gervase and Ralph had perhaps ‘not completely armed
themselves with the shield of faith and prayer’ and succumbed
to the devil’s poisonous whisperings; comparing their present
hardships to life at St Mary’s, they decided to return to
York - ‘satisfied with their former mediocrity, since safety
lies ever in the mean.’(28) Gervase
soon realised the errors of his ways, ‘returned to the camp’ and
was later promoted to the abbacy of Louth
Park.(29) Ralph, however,
remained at St Mary’s,
making ‘a compact with the flesh and his belly cleaved unto
the ground.’(31)