Pope Urban’s speech at Clermont

William of Malmesbury, Gesta Regum Anglorum 347

Abstract

This paper concerns William of Malmesbury’s version of Pope Urban II’s celebrated speech at Clermont in 1095. It provides new evidence for William’s borrowings from patristic authors in this passage, and shows how he recycled his own words in later works of his own. Finally, it discusses which other versions of the speech were drawn upon by William.

Keywords: William of Malmesbury, Crusades, Pope Urban II, Clermont